Frozen: Ashes of War
by Hatesolstice
Summary: Book Two of The Godstone War - Arendelle lies in ruins, and the first seal has fallen. The enemy is now one step closer to releasing Sjelspise, the Eater of Souls, from it's eternal prison. Elsa must now confront her own fears if she is to stop them from laying waste to the rest of the world. With new allies and enemies alike, she will need an iron will to exact her vengeance.
1. Prologue - Unholy Ground

**PROLOGUE**

 _Unholy Ground_

He followed the fresh tracks in the soil through the trees, smirking to himself ever so slightly as he went. His prey was being careless, and ran barefoot through the underbrush. It made his job all that much easier, and that was perfectly fine with him. The less detective work he had to do, the better.

The midsummer evening air was hot and humid from the afternoon sun, and with it came the myriad mosquitoes and other obnoxious pests. A small cloud of the things swarmed around his head, and he tried to swat them away only to have them return seconds later. He didn't particularly care for this part of the job, but it was his sworn duty and that was that.

Shouldering his rifle, he motioned for the others to spread out and walked almost leisurely through the woods. The depth of the prints told him that their charges were running hard and fast, and the space between helped him determine just how quickly they moved. He was sure that they would tire before long, and thus there was little reason to expend more energy than necessary.

There were seven men in all, each as skilled and deadly as he was with a gun or blade. Most were ex-military and had seen action long before they ever became associated with one another, for which he thanked God. He was in need of good men, and these were some of the best he'd ever seen. Righteous and powerful as they were alone, together they were a lethal force to be reckoned with.

The trail continued for some time, and the imprints became less staggered and closer together, indicating their targets were slowing their pace. It wouldn't be long before they would have to stop to rest, and he intended to catch them unaware. Even if the men didn't catch them right away, sooner or later they would make a terrible mistake. Either eventuality would be preferable, and were unavoidable in the long term.

As he continued following the trail of footprints, one of the other men approached him and matched his pace. It was the youngest member of the group, though his youth belied both his skill and resolve.

"You do realize where they're headed, Kaspar?" he asked after a moment of brief silence.

Kaspar pursed his lips into a thin line for just a second before replying. "I would be a fool not to, Aron. This isn't my first hunt."

"Will we burn the accursed grove after we purify them then?" Aron sounded a little excited at the prospect.

Giving the youth a sideways glance, Kaspar nodded in affirmation. "We shall do as procedure dictates. We will not cut corners and you know it."

Aron's eyes grew narrow at the accusatory tone in the man's voice. "I would never disobey the holy statute. To do so would be an act of heresy against Christ himself."

"Then perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the rites of purification to avoid further confusion in the future," Kaspar chastised.

Aron clenched his jaw but said nothing more. He knew he was right, of course, as he should have known the rites by now. His eagerness to perform often interfered with his ability to learn and adhere to their laws of governance, and while Kaspar and the others appreciated this attitude of his, they also often had to remind him that there is more to it than just action. One needed to be well versed in the holy scripture as well, and know the rites by heart.

This wasn't to say Kaspar disliked him. Quite the contrary. He was very fond of the young man, and had high expectations for him. The Hands of Judgment hadn't seen a recruit such as Aron in quite awhile, and thus he did all he could to help mold the boy into a righteous weapon of the Lord's wrath.

The sun had now set behind the mountains to the west, and the canopy of trees blotted out what little light there was left. Removing the pack from his back, Kaspar dug around for several moments before pulling out a torch and flint. After igniting the torch and replacing the pack over his shoulder, he glanced down at the trail once more and saw something he hadn't expected.

Blood.

One of them was wounded, but how or why he didn't know. There were signs of a struggle, as there were unfamiliar tracks as well. They had managed to escape before he and his men had arrived, which only further piqued his curiosity. Whatever had happened, it wasn't by his hand.

"Do you suppose there are others hunting them as well?" Aron seemed annoyed at the possibility.

Kaspar stood back up and shook his head. "I sincerely doubt it. We were the only ones on this mission. Unless the wretches turned on one another, there's no real explanation for it. It doesn't really matter anyway, as they'll be hanging soon enough."

In the distance, just over the hills to the east, a wolf howled into the night. It was a lower pitch than the typical wolf cry, and this alarmed Kaspar. His hand immediately went to the blade at his side, and he loosened it in its sheath.

Aron saw this and followed suit, and quickly glanced towards the others. Everyone had stopped where they stood and fell silent. The only sound to be heard was the rustling of leaves in the treetops from the summer breeze.

The howl was answered some distance to the south, and then again to the north where the men had been heading. Then suddenly an orchestra of baying wolves sounded off, this time to the west. They had been surrounded, and there was no telling if they were caught in the middle or not.

Grabbing Aron by the shoulder, Kaspar shoved him forward and gestured for him to run. The others took notice and did the same, and soon the men were speeding through the woods northward, the light from their torches barely visible in the encroaching darkness. They could hear yet more howls, and they knew that the pack leader was ushering the others onward. He suspected that running was ultimately a futile effort, but if they could gain enough distance then they might have a chance to regroup and withstand whatever came their way.

They came to a river that cut through the woods from the northeast, and some of the men began wading across. A shadow on the far bank rushed and landed in the water nearby with a violent splash, and suddenly a pair of shining silvery orbs appeared above them, accompanied by a deep guttural growl.

Shakily, one of the men raised his torch up into the air, and the flickering light just barely illuminated a long snout lined with a row of terrible fangs nearly the size of a man's finger. The beast stood erect and was much taller than any man, and was covered in a lightly mottled gray and black coat of fur. The bulk of its mass was pure rippled muscle, hard and strong as if carved from stone.

The thing lurched forward slowly, growling and sniffing just inches from the man's face. Snarling, the creature bared it's teeth as it stopped just in front of his nose. Staring at one another for several seconds, the man held his breath as his free hand reached for the blade at his side.

It was a costly mistake, as the beast saw this and roared loudly. Then, with inhuman speed, it reared back with one arm and lunged forward, claws catching the man in the chest. The blow sent him backwards into the waist-deep waters, extinguishing his torch.

Quickly, Kaspar ordered for the others to help, and rushed forward with pistol in hand. The moonlight was bright and reflected off the river's surface, outlining the beast's shape as it tore across the water to the other men. Coming to a stop just at the edge of the embankment, he raised his gun and aimed for the furry mass, then prayed and fired.

The yelp the thing let out told him he had hit his mark. It didn't seem to slow it down any, but it changed direction mid-run and turned directly for him. This might have shaken a lesser man, but Kaspar held his ground and bore his blade, ready to strike.

The two collided, snarling and growling at one another as sword and claw clashed. The blow was nearly fierce enough to send Kaspar reeling backwards, but he quickly dug his heels in and caught himself. Tossing his gun aside, he centered his footing and lunged forward with his blade, striking the demon in its side.

The beast let out a pained howl, and with lightning-fast reflexes it gripped Kaspar's arm and wrenched sideways. This caused him to fall to his knees and cry out, then the thing bit down on his shoulder hard. In another motion, it ripped it's head upwards and tore flesh away, and let him fall limp to the ground.

The sound of battle became muffled and distant, as the men cried out to one another to destroy the monster they faced. Kaspar laid there for a time, his breathing turned ragged between gasps. He could hear his own heartbeat pounding in his ears, and it was deafening. He was sure that the beast had ripped open an artery, and he was going to bleed out and die in the middle of nowhere on a routine hunt.

That was the worst bit to him. The shame of dying such a lowly, unfavorable death. He was supposed to die whilst locked in battle with the forces of evil, not against some inhuman mongrel. In this, he brought shame to himself and to The Hands.

He wasn't sure how much time had passed, but eventually one of the men came running to his aid, and hurriedly began to unpack several things that he recognized to be alchemical supplies. Kaspar knew him as Cedrik. He couldn't quite make out what the man was saying, but he noticed the flask of holy water and a phial of what the man called silver extract, the properties of which Kaspar himself wasn't knowledgeable on.

The man started speaking rhythmically, and Kaspar finally realized that he was reciting a prayer. A moment later, he unstoppered the flask and began to pour its contents over the area the devil had bit him. It was cool at first, then slowly began to sizzle and burn as it boiled out the impurities the thing had left in him.

Next, he took a cloth from his pack and dampened it with the contents of the silver extract before lightly dabbing the wound. This stung much worse, and Kaspar let out a groan of agony and clenched his fists. It was like a thousand needles had stabbed all at once, and it took the last of his waning strength to stifle the pain.

Finally, the man began to stitch closed what he could, and dressed the wound. It wasn't ideal, but then neither was being bitten by such a vicious and vile creature. However, it was going to save his life, and that meant he'd live to fight the darkness once more.

When he was done, Cedrik gave another prayer and then helped Kaspar sit up. Digging through his bag, he produced yet another flask, this one more ornate than the others. Uncorking the top, he handed it to his patient.

"Here, drink this," he ordered as the Kaspar took the flask. "The silver will help fight the infection, but this will prevent the madness and fever. It smells foul and tastes worse, but it's better than losing your sanity."

Kaspar barely acknowledged what was said as he threw his head back and drank the disgusting concoction. He knew what it was for, and thanked the Lord that he had had the sense to recruit the man to begin with. Cedrik wasn't much of a fighter compared to the others, but his knowledge of such supernatural things was unmatched.

After a few minutes of rest, Kaspar finally worked himself up to his feet again. He was in serious pain, but pain meant he was alive. Scanning the area, he saw the bloodied mass of the creature that had attacked them, and wondered where the others were. There had surely been more, and yet only this one was brave or foolish enough to face them.

"The accursed thing couldn't withstand the silver of our blades," young Aron said as he approached his mentor. "It's amazing how effective the metal is."

Kaspar nodded in agreement. "Yes, but do you know why it works so well?"

The youth thought on this for a moment before answering. "Because of how pure the silver is?"

Letting out a strained laugh, the older man clapped Aron on the shoulder and shook his head. "Lycans are highly allergic to silver. A mere cut causes the skin to burn and peel, and prolonged exposure can cause serious infection. Pustules will form, and eventually the flesh will begin to rot off."

"However, they also carry a foul disease that we are incredibly weak to. It causes a hellish fever, expulsion of stomach contents mixed with blood, and retardation of mental faculties. Treating wounds with silver extract and imbibing a special tonic are the only known ways to combat it."

Crossing his arms across his chest, Aron looked down at the bloody mass of fur before them. "Have you fought many?"

"I can count on one hand the number of these things I've seen. They're incredibly rare. We believe they are the result of some sorceress' curse, but we cannot be sure," Kaspar said in a dissatisfied tone. "Whatever they are, they need to be exterminated. They are an affront to the Lord himself."

Aron's eyes lit up at that, and he gave a toothy grin. "Then let us pray that we finish tonight's mission quickly, so that we may hunt down the others and put an end to their terror."

* * *

Dragging their fallen comrade from the blackened river, a few of the men began to remove various articles from the body. As Kaspar watched, he mouthed a silent prayer for the man. They would need to salt and burn the remains to prevent the spirit from returning vengeful and angered, a special rite would need to be read to prevent the corpse from turning, and finally a prayer that the man's soul would find it's way into heaven. It was a lot of work, but it was a part of their bylaws and their duty.

Though the pain in his shoulder was immense, Kaspar found the strength and will to carry on. Every movement wracked his body with an agony he had never experienced before, and he prayed that the medicine was doing its job. He wasn't sure how long it would take for the fever to set in, but he did know that the illness moved swiftly once it infected a host. He had only seen it take a victim one other time, and the man died long before the full effect of the disease could be examined.

The others kept a wary eye on him, and none but Aron or Cedrik would get close. Most kept a nervous hand on their blades, fearing they might have to put him down like a rabid dog. This was perhaps the first encounter most had ever had with such a beast, though all had heard the tales; men that changed into massive beasts under the light of a full moon. The bites so infectious that they cause the recipient to also change. It was all folklore, but it was what most believed. They were brave men with iron wills, but they were not fools. Caution was the preferred path here.

The men were largely unfamiliar with the alchemical properties the treatment entailed, save for Cedrik himself. It was rather elementary to him, as he found science and medicine fascinating. Kaspar was glad he had the foresight to recruit the man, as his knowledge of such things was unparalleled. So, when Cedrik reassured him that the medication was working as intended, he believed him.

Making their way back to the trail they had abandoned in their flight, the men watched the trees and underbrush for movement. There had been a symphony of those beasts earlier, and now there was eerie silence. It was unnerving how quiet the forest had fallen, but somehow befitting of the evening's events. Even the slightest rattling of leaves would cause them alarm, as everyone was on edge.

Miraculously, they hadn't wandered as far from the trail as Kaspar first thought. With little effort they were able to once again track their charges to the northwest. The trail of blood seemed to worsen for a bit before it vanished entirely, which he thought was odd. If they had bled out, there would have been either a body or signs of one being dragged off by the others. In this case, there was neither, which could only mean that they somehow managed to stop the bleeding.

To Kaspar, something wasn't right. He knew what their capabilities were, and healing serious wounds was both incredibly taxing and dangerous. All the more reason to avoid such things, he told himself. It wasn't natural, and he highly disapproved of the method.

The team trudged onward in silence, listening to the sounds of the night. Nothing stirred, not even the wind that blew lightly across the treetops just an hour before. If a leaf were to fall, they'd know it. It was the kind of silence that made the heart beat louder and faster, and it seemed ever more prevalent thanks to the heavy darkness.

They continued in this fashion for some time before they came to a clearing, and for just a brief moment Kaspar felt relief. Leaning against an ancient oak, he reached into his coat and procured a small flask. With a shaky hand he uncapped it, knocked back his head, and took a swig. Quickly his eyes scanned the others to ensure none were watching, and hastily put it way.

A loud screech brought everyone to attention, and Kaspar took a few steps towards the clearing before reaching for his spare gun. The others did much the same and brandished their weapons, but none dared move. Instead they stood there and waited.

The moon was full and bright, but produced little in the way of light. The land below was still enveloped in a thick blanket of darkness, hiding whatever it was that awaited them. The thing screeched again, this time from higher up in the trees.

"What ungodly abomination would make such a horrific noise?" Aron asked under his breath.

Suddenly, something swooped down out of the canopy above and grabbed one of the men, dragging him along the ground screaming and into a nearby tree. It was too dark and the beast moved too fast for them to catch more than a blurred glimpse. The few remaining men ran to where their comrade had been taken, and they could hear panicked yells and screams coming from the treetops. Then, the sounds similar to a butcher cleaving meat from a pig filled the night air.

The others backed away slowly and muttered their own prayers, but never took their eyes off the entangled branches above. Kaspar knew they were ill-equipped for such an encounter, and quietly led the others away while it was still preoccupied. He didn't want to risk losing more men to the bloody thing.

They continued on in utter silence, occasionally glancing over their shoulders back to where that thing had disappeared, and they started at every rustle of leaves or snapping twig. Though they were normally very strong in their resolve, they had already lost two of their companions to beasts that they had not come prepared to face. It was supposed to be a quick and easy hunt, and so far it had turned out to be a disaster.

Finally back on the trail, they left that nightmare in their wake and followed the tracks ever northward. Eventually the trees thinned out a bit, and the ground became hilly. A large ravine cut through between a few hills, and on the far side was a copse of maple and oak. However, this wasn't what caught their attention.

A strange light shone through the trees, a myriad of colors from reds to yellows to greens, and it pulsated like a beating heart. It entranced the men, as it seemed to dance slowly back and forth in the night. They couldn't see the source of the queer illumination, but Kaspar knew that they had finally arrived at their destination.

Quietly he led them down the hillside and to the ravine, and found a felled tree had already been laid across the gap as a sort of makeshift bridge. Across the tree and on the other side, they crept up to the treeline on the very edge of the grove, and he made the signal for the others to prepare themselves.

"We are now on unholy ground," he cautioned the others. "Only the Almighty can help us now, and pray that he gives us the strength to smite this evil."

Inwards they crept, as silently as any hunter, until they came to what appeared to be the center of the small forest. The light was now bright and nearly blinding, and they could hear a faint murmuring from a bit further within. Finally, they were within sight of their marks, but froze in their tracks.

There were two women, stark naked, kneeling before a pile of stone that seemed to be situated in a very specific and peculiar way to make an altar. On top lay what appeared to be a dead body, and hovering above was a sphere that was clearly the source of the light. A swirl of colors had coalesced and taken form, and illuminated the interior of the grove. There was an odd buzzing noise, and Kaspar could only assume it came from the ball of light.

Motioning for the others to spread out, they quickly surrounded the women and had their weapons drawn. The women didn't notice them at first, but when they did one screamed and grabbed the arm of the other. In an instant, the light dissipated and was gone.

"In the name of the Lord, we have come to put an end to your devil worship and evil schemes," Kaspar announced brusquely. "You and your coven have been charged with witchcraft, an activity deemed illegal by the church and whose punishment is death by hanging."

The women were terrified and shivering as they tried to cover themselves. Then one drew herself up ever so slightly and stepped forward. Her hair was a dark brown and hung loose down her shoulders and back. She looked to be middle-aged, as she had a few creases on her face. Her eyes were dark, but there was a fire behind them that Kaspar didn't care for.

"You are insane," she retorted. "We worship no devil or demon. We have done nothing wrong, nor do we acknowledge your church and its ways."

Kaspar gave a shrug at this. "It matters not. The king himself, however, does acknowledge the church and its laws. He, himself, has declared your craft and beliefs to be illegal, and has sentenced all who practice to death."

"However," he continued, "there is still hope. Denounce your wicked ways, denounce Lucifer as your lord and master, and accept Christ as your savior. Do this, and you will be spared."

The woman seemed offended, and the other still too scared to answer. "You expect us to turn our backs on our beliefs because of some half-baked ultimatum? You demand we throw away everything we are for some upstart deity?" the brunette asked.

"No, I don't," Kaspar replied coolly. "I know your kind and I know you never will, because you never do. You are far too set in your ways to see the light. The Almighty is a forgiving creator, but he will not tolerate your paganism. It is an abomination."

With no warning, Kaspar raised his pistol and fired. The younger girl yelped and slumped to the ground, doubled over and gasping.

"Corina!" shrieked the brunette, and she frantically knelt down beside her friend and held her. Looking back at Kaspar, there were tears in her eyes, and something else. Something a bit more final.

Rage.

"You monster! How could you do something so horrible and cruel!?"

Ignoring her cries, Kaspar motioned for the others to move in. Aron was the first one to reach the women, and he reached down for the one that had been shot. The brunette's head snapped to look at him, and her arm reached up and grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Then, loudly, she shouted _"Ecksplodere!"_

In a burst of flame and a loud snap, Aron was sent flying backwards into a nearby tree and collapsed to the ground. The others stopped where they stood, aimed their guns and fired.

 _"Avlede!"_ the woman yelled, and the men's shots ricocheted off her as if she were made of steel and whirred into the surrounding darkness.

"You will leave this sacred grove _now_ ," she warned angrily. "You do realize who rules this land, yes?"

This was a peculiar question, but Kaspar scoffed at it all the same. "Of course I do. King Ragnar of Thaumgar."

"No, you fool. You have crossed over into land that belongs to Queen Elsa of Arendelle," she said through gritted teeth. "She doesn't accept the church's outrageous demands, and has declared the Sami and other faiths to be just as sacred. It is now _you_ who has broken the law."

"That heathen of a queen doesn't deserve the crown on her head," he retorted. "She is an affront to the Lord, and will be dealt with in due time. Now then, I happen to know you are too exhausted to use any more of your tricks, so now you will hang."

The others quickly ran in and grabbed her, though they were apprehensive in their actions. For some reason, the woman didn't offer a fight. She looked down at the girl at her feet, who had finally bled out. Then she glanced to the body atop the altar, and Kaspar followed her gaze.

Curious, he stepped forward until he had a clear view, and raised his torch. It was another woman, young like the one he had shot, and he could see that her arm had been mauled. Perhaps they had run into the lycan as well. Whatever the case, the wound explains the blood he had found before.

They lead the woman over to a nearby tree, and tied a length of rope around her neck to form a noose, then tossed the other end over a branch of the tall oak. As they prepared to hang her, Cedrik inspected Aron's injuries and was relieved at his condition. He was still alive, and had simply been knocked unconscious. The burn on his chest was terrible, but beyond that he was merely bruised from his impact with the tree.

Once they were ready, Kaspar read a passage from their scripture as the others slowly lifted her off her feet. At first she didn't react, but a few moments of no air and she started flailing and panicking. After only a couple minutes, her body went limp and swayed slowly like a pendulum until it was still.

Once the woman was taken care of, Kaspar began to read yet another passage, this time a purification rite and blessing. The others set about to preparing the grove to receive the prayer, and began saturating the ground with containers of oil. Standing at the entrance to the grove, he finished the ritual and closed the book. He had recited it so many times he had it memorized, yet he still preferred to read it aloud. It gave him a sense of grandeur and purpose, a feeling that he was every bit as important as the scripture itself.

With the last word spoken, he waited for the others to complete their tasks. After the last man exited the trees, he lifted his torch and tossed it into the center of the clearing. With a flash flames shot out in all directions, spreading to the underbrush and smaller maple trees. He stood there for a time, watching everything burn to ash. Finally, he placed his book back into his bag and said a prayer.

As they gathered their gear and began to make their way back to civilization, Kaspar had a troubling thought that he couldn't shake. It was something that accursed woman had said about Queen Elsa. She didn't accept the church's laws. She was a heathen and an abomination, and that was when he knew what must be done.

Queen Elsa had to die.


	2. Chapter 1 - An Unexpected Invitation

**CHAPTER 1**

 _An Unexpected Invitation_

The wind ripped across the frigid mountain peaks to the north, carrying with it the chill of the summit. As it descended on the land below, it warmed under the summer sun that climbed through the eastern half of the sky. The further it out it reached, the weaker it became, until finally it turned into a light breeze that caressed the treetops.

When it finally reached the valley between Shepard's Pass to the north and what was known as the North Mountain in the southwest, the breeze gently brushed the otherwise mirror-like surface of the lake. Every now and then something would splash and cause a few mild waves, but by the time they reached the shore they were nothing more than minute ripples. However, this wasn't the only thing disturbing the cold, muddy waters.

Sitting on an old, rotted log at the water's edge was a rather burly man absentmindedly tossing the occasional stone as far as he could from the beach. Every now and then he'd swing his arm sideways to skip a rock on the water, then shake his head, lean forward resting his arms on his knees, and curse.

He was a big man, with broad shoulders and a solid upper body. He had shaggy, dirty blonde hair that drooped down to just above his ears, and his eyes were a light brown. His jawline was strong and square, and his nose a little wide. His shirt was a light beige, the sleeves rolled up to just above his elbows, and his pants were dark brown and came down to just above his boots. Nothing about this sight would be misconstrued as strange, except for the rather large reindeer that stood next to him.

Eventually, he got fed up tossing rocks and got up to stretch. He had been out there for awhile now, though he had lost track and had no clue what time it was. Judging by the the position of the sun, he figured it was approaching midday. After patting his friend on the snout, he bent over, picked up a rifle that had been leaning against the log, and started walking back towards the dirt road that lead into town. They didn't get far though. Barely taking ten steps, he stopped in his tracks and frowned.

There was a was woman heading towards him, long light blonde hair hanging down to the small of her back in a thick braid. She was walking quickly, tailed by a couple soldiers, with a concerned look on her pale and freckled face. Wringing her hands, she carried herself as if she was unsure of what she was doing.

"Kristoff," she said as she approached, "what are you doing out here? You've been gone for hours."

Glancing out towards the lake, Kristoff gave her an uninterested shrug. "Nothing, Elsa. Just, you know, enjoying the quiet."

Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. "Please, don't lie to me. What are you doing out here? Alone?"

Annoyed, he looked down at the ground and huffed heavily. "Nothing, alright? I'm not doing anything. Why do you care anyway?"

"I don't deserve that, Kristoff," she retorted, throwing her arms down at her sides angrily. "You're not the only one suffering!"

Tossing his rifle to the ground, Kristoff glowered at her and balled his hands into fists. "What do you know about suffering! Huh? You have no idea what I've been going through!"

This made Elsa scoff at him in incredulity. "I have no idea? How dare you! I spent a lifetime suffering alone because of something that was completely beyond my control! I was forced to shut out and chase away everything that mattered most to me! On top of all that, it has only been a month since I buried my baby sister! So don't you _dare_ tell me I have no idea what you're going through!"

Kristoff winced at the bite behind her scathing words. She was right, of course, and he knew that he had just crossed a line that he never should have tread near. Throwing his hands up defensively in front of him, his face became apologetic. His mouth open and shut several times, unable to produce any sound for several moments.

"Elsa, look, I'm sorry," he was finally able to utter. "You're right, okay? I shouldn't have said any of that."

This did little to quell Elsa's temper. "Oh, you think Kristoff? What could have possibly made you realize that you should never have gone this route with me? Was it the fact that I've already been through all this before and you were completely out of line? Or how about the simple reality of it is you've had your head so far up your backside feeling sorry for yourself that you were too afraid to realize that maybe there are other people feeling just as miserable as you?"

Staring down at the ground defeated, he ran a rather large hand through his shaggy hair and rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Okay, I deserve that. Like I said, I'm sorry. But you know what? It hurts, and has since the day you came back from the mountains. I can't sleep at night, and my stomach has been a twisted mess. I've had no appetite, and in case you haven't noticed, I've been shirking pretty much all my duties because I can't think straight. I miss her, Elsa. So much so that it's killing me."

Elsa's face softened as he spoke, and her bright baby blue eyes lost their flame. Sighing, her shoulders sagged down a bit and she wrapped her arms around herself. "I know, Kristoff. Believe me, nobody misses Anna more than me. It's like the only reason I had to live has been ripped away from me before I could manage to do anything about it. I spent so much of my life shutting her out that I didn't realize she was the one thing I needed to stay anchored here."

Without warning, Kristoff fell to his hands and knees. He was doing his best not to sputter, fighting back the tears he'd been holding in for a month. Shaking his head, he beat an angry fist on the ground, then began to shudder.

"It's not fair, Elsa! Why!? Why did she have to die!? She was so young, so loving," he growled through clenched teeth. "She didn't deserve it!"

Tears started running down her cheeks, and she was sniffling in an effort to control herself. "I know, Kristoff. I know. Anna never deserved any of the horrible things that happened to her. If it weren't for me, she'd still be with us right now."

"What? You think this is your fault? That doesn't make any sense," he replied as he righted himself, resting his hands on his lap. He was still breathing heavily in a broken rhythm, doing his best to calm himself down.

"Yes, I blame myself," she admitted quietly, drying her eyes on the sleeve of her light green sundress. "This whole prophecy thing is because of me. That vile woman started a war because of who and what I am. My very existence has been nothing but a curse to everyone, especially Anna."

Slowly he stood up, and Kristoff looked at her with a deep sorrow in his eyes. "Elsa, nobody else blames you. I don't. There is absolutely no way that what happened was your fault. You didn't ask to have powers, or to be some prophesied savior. You were just dealt a terrible hand."

"Yet Anna paid the price," Elsa whispered hoarsely as she covered her mouth with her hand and began to weep uncontrollably.

Kristoff had no idea what to do. He wanted to comfort her, he really did, but would it be appropriate? A hug would seem a little too friendly, though he certainly considered her one of his closest friends. A pat on the back or a hand on the shoulder seemed too insincere and worthless. What was he to do?

Before he could decide, Elsa threw herself at him and buried her face in his chest and cried. _Well, that settles that,_ he thought to himself, and wrapped her up in a very awkward hug. He did his best not to panic, or to shove her away, but he was very uncomfortable with the whole thing.

A minute or two later, Elsa finally managed to calm her self down, and slowly backed away. Her cheeks were a tad flushed, and Kristoff wasn't entirely sure it was just from crying. Neither would look at the other for more than a second, and they avoided looking one another in the eyes.

Clearing her throat, Elsa was the first to break the silence. "I-I'm sorry, Kristoff, for, uh, doing that. I don't k-know what came over me."

Kristoff simply shrugged and sighed. "It's okay, Elsa. Really. I've been a complete wreck myself. That's why I spend so much time out here, away from everything."

"I know," she said as she wiped her tears on her sleeve, trying her best to not break down again. "I know why you're always out here, by yourself, keeping your distance. But please, you can't keep doing this."

It was Kristoff's turn to scoff as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. "No offense Elsa, but you're the last person that should be lecturing me on that."

Elsa blinked, doing her best not to lose her temper again. "Kristoff, I'm just trying to help..."

"Yeah, well I don't need help," he replied, annoyance once again entering his voice. "I came out here to get away from all that. Now then, I'd really like to be alone right now, so you'll have to excuse me."

Picking up his rifle, Kristoff walked passed her without acknowledging her further. With his reindeer companion in tow, he stormed off down the road that lead back into the city of Branisberg.

Throwing her hands down to her sides in frustration, Elsa watched him leave until he disappeared around a bend in the road and was out of sight. Shaking her head, she took a seat on the log and looked out over the water. Within moments she was lost in thought, remembering her little sister and the joy she brought with her. Then, there was the look of absolute terror Elsa saw in her eyes as she lay dead at the mountain pass.

Once more Elsa wept, bent over and face buried in her hands. The memories she had of the last ten months with her sister weren't enough to undo a lifetime of nightmares and misery. The dark thoughts she had been hiding began to creep back into the forefront of her mind, and there was little she could do to stop it.

* * *

It wasn't until the sun began it's descent into the western horizon that Elsa made her way back to _The Blooming Saffron_. It was nearly suppertime, but she didn't quite feel up to joining the others in the dining room. In recent weeks, she had become accustomed to taking her meals in her room, much to everyone's dismay.

In fact, Elsa had come to spend most of her time locked up, only making the occasional appearance when her governance was absolutely needed. Otherwise, her days were always the same; the same four walls, the same two beds, the same window looking out over the stable yard of the inn. Even Anna's personal effects were still where she had left them. It was one of the only comforts Elsa had left.

The others tried very hard in the beginning to console her as much as they could. Aldrik, who felt so guilt-ridden over Anna's kidnapping and death, rarely ever left his post outside her chamber door. Refusing to leave her side, he would often double or even triple up on guard duty. He felt he owed her at least that much.

The scouts reinforced patrols around the city, ensuring that the people, and their grieving queen, remained safe. However, anytime one of them approached her, she would grow quiet and withdraw from everyone. Eventually, they learned to let her have her space and avoided bothering her as much as possible.

After refusing to even acknowledge her dinner, Elsa stood in front of the window in her room staring out over the various rooftops of the city, watching and waiting for the stars to begin to shine in the cloudless night sky above. As the last little bit of light faded over the western horizon, one by one the stars began to dot the heavens. Soon the pitch black canvas was littered with the tiny celestial bodies, and Elsa could only stare in awe.

Resting her slender hands on the windowsill, Elsa took a deep breath and sighed. "Good evening, sweetheart. I hope you can actually hear me tonight. How was your day?"

Straining to listen, the only sound she could hear was the breeze blowing down from the mountains. Elsa waited several minutes, but no answer came.

"My day was rather dull," she finally continued. "I had a very confusing confrontation with Kristoff earlier...I don't know what to do, but he's falling apart without you."

Again, silence greeted her. She tried to hold herself together, but her voice began to waiver.

Sniffling, she looked down at her trembling hands as she folded them and leaned into the sill. "I...um...I miss you, you know? Every day is a struggle just to get out of bed, and making it through sometimes feels impossible."

Tears began to trickle down her pale face, the moonlight glinting off of each drop. "I-I'm a mess, Anna. I don't know what to do anymore. I don't eat, I can't sleep, I never leave the room...There have been days where I don't even bother getting out of bed."

"Why!? Why is this happening to me!? I don't want to be this way anymore! Please, Anna, help me! Tell me what I need to do," she pleaded to the stars. "Please, tell me what I have to do!"

Without waiting for any kind of response, Elsa dropped to the floor and leaned against the wall, crying and shuddering violently. Burying her face in her hands, she completely broke down and cried until her throat was hoarse and raw. Eventually, exhaustion took over, and she passed out there beneath the window inside her dark and lonely room.

* * *

The clock on the office wall chimed as the hour approached, the ticking reverberating through the silence of the tiny room. Behind the old oak desk sat a tall, lean man with dark brown hair cut short and well-groomed. His face was hard and squared, and his light green eyes were weary yet focused. Next to his arm sat an empty glass and half a bottle of rum.

With the mountain of paperwork that was piled onto his desk, it was little wonder his eyes were tired. It was barely noon and he had been stuck there for hours doing his best to burn through the stack of forms and reports. A stamp here, a notation there, and one more paper was slipped into the "completed" pile.

Shortly after the clock chimed it's hourly toll, there was a knock at the door. Without waiting for an answer, the door creaked open and Elsa poked her head in.

"I'm sorry to bother you, Liam," she said meekly, "but I was informed you wanted to speak with me."

Looking up from a report he was pouring over, Liam frowned at her. "You do realize, Your Grace, that you have full authority here? You can come and go as you please, and there is little need for you to knock on my office door. I mean, you are queen after all."

Entering the room, Elsa carried herself as if she was a child that was just reprimanded. Her cheeks were flushed, her hands fidgeted with her dress, and she stared at the floor as if she was ashamed. "I know, Liam, I just...Never mind. What was it you needed?"

Giving her a curious glance, he rifled through a stack of papers and finally plucked one out. "Here we are. We just received this report this morning from a scout that returned from the south...near Arendelle."

This news caused Elsa's head to jerk up, and she quickly took interest. "Arendelle!? What about it? What did they discover?"

"As it turns out," he said as he read over the report, "those rumors we heard about there being rogue bands of soldiers fighting around the capitol were true. These men were flying our banner, wearing our uniforms, and proclaiming to be fighting in the name of the queen."

Elsa quickly took a seat opposite of him, gestured for the paper, and began reading it over before it had ever left his hands. "These men...who are they really? Are they truly ours?"

Liam leaned back and crossed his arms, letting out a small sigh. "Unknown, sadly. However, one of the men that appeared to be in charge called himself "Captain Reinhardt"."

"Are you saying that Captain Reinhardt is alive?" she asked. She almost couldn't believe it.

"Again, we don't know for sure," he said with a shrug. "I find it rather interesting that someone would make such a claim though, especially considering all that has happened."

Sitting back in her chair, Elsa began to ponder this information. They had learned a few months ago that there were soldiers patrolling the region just outside of Arendelle, defending the villages and hamlets that dotted the valley. Up until recently, they didn't have the resources to look into it. Now that they had this confirmation, she knew they had to act on it.

"We must rein them in. We need more men, and if it actually is Captain Reinhardt, then we need to secure his service again," Elsa urged.

"I agree," he replied. "I'll have a letter delivered with your seal. I think that will be enough to bring them to us."

A look of doubt washed over Elsa's face. "Are you sure? What if they don't believe it's truly me?"

"Well," he said, considering her words, "do you feel it would be prudent if we delivered the message in person? If the men saw that you were indeed still alive as the rumors would suggest, then there could be no more doubt. Luckily, we won't need another display to prove who you are, as the men are all familiar with you."

"Provided they are, indeed, our men," she replied.

"Right." Liam gave her a small smile, refilled his glass, and took a drink.

"I'm sorry that I'm being so paranoid, Liam. I truly am," she said, folding her hands in her lap and looking to the floor. "But after everything we've been through, it's hard to just trust that things are as they seem."

"I completely understand, Your Grace. We will approach this carefully, and I swear to you that I will not let a single thing happen to you," he said adamantly.

Elsa raised a hand up and shook her head. "You don't have to worry about protecting me, Liam. It's not my safety I'm concerned with. I just don't want to bring any more pain and suffering to our people."

Choosing to ignore the obvious remark, Liam shifted in his chair and leaned on his desk, nearly displacing a stack of papers and an inkwell. "I do not believe we have anything to worry about. Our scouts saw them with their own eyes, and I have faith that they reported accurately."

"Well, if you are that confident in this information, then so am I," she said with a forced smile. Hard to believe she had spent so much time away from the politics of running a kingdom, and now she felt she had to begin again with her closest friends. In truth, she was very hesitant to take anything at face value anymore. "Send the letter. I'll read it over and approve it once it's ready. I have a few other things that need to be taken care of, and I've been putting them off far longer than I should. It's been hard, you know? Dealing with Anna being gone."

"I know, Your Grace," he replied. "We've all been trying our best to help, to give you space and time to heal. Unfortunately, the enemy won't wait for things to get better, and neither will our duties. I will continue to do my best to keep your workload to a minimum, though I will soon need an assistant to help tackle all the nonsense we get from the field reports and the mayor's office. He apparently thinks we need to handle all his problems as well."

As she stood to leave, Elsa paused briefly and turned back to face him. "Have you heard anything from Olvar and Bertrand yet?"

Folding his hands on his desk, Elsa could see the frustration in his eyes. "No. It's been over a month now, and we've heard nothing. I doubt they'd be able to reach us anyway, being so far north and not having any method of communication. Normally I wouldn't worry, but considering who we are dealing with, I am starting to become concerned."

"Do let me know should you hear anything. Please," she said with a hint of worry in her voice.

"Of course, Your Grace. You'll know the moment I do," he replied before taking another drink of his rum.

* * *

Jorik slowly made his way down the stairs to the first floor of _The Blooming Saffron,_ gripping the handrail tightly and gritting his teeth with every step. It had been just a little over a month since he suffered severe burns all over his body from a spell that backfired, all in an attempt to save Princess Anna's life, and in that time he has slowly healed. Unfortunately, the pain remained overwhelming. He swore he could still feel the heat from the blast, constantly complaining of feeling feverish. Even in the cool of the evening air, the warmth was almost unbearable to him.

Pushing open the swinging door that lead into the dining hall, he scanned the moderately sized room full of people until his eyes landed on the couple he was looking for. Elsa and Aldrik sat at a table near the front of the room by one of the large windows that overlooked the cobbled street outside, talking in low, inaudible tones. Ambling his way to their table as quickly as his injuries and bandages would allow, he lowered himself carefully into a seat and greeted his companions with a pained frown.

"The walk down here seems to get longer every day," he complained as he let out a sigh.

"How long are you gonna whine about that? It's not that far," Aldrik chided over a mug of a deep amber lager.

With a short beard and rusty brown hair, navy blue eyes, and a constant smirk on his face, Aldrik was the type that always had an opinion on everything, and wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind. Lean but well defined, he had lived his life in the wilderness, surviving off what the land provided him. His white shirt had the sleeves rolled up to his elbows, and his brown trousers were slightly worn in appearance, with matching leather boots that looked just as well-used. How he had ever come to be friends with the queen and princess is still something of a mystery, even to him.

Scowling, Jorik looked at his friend briefly before leaning on the table, which he immediately regretted doing. The burns on his arms were still quite sensitive, making just about anything he did uncomfortable. Instead, he sat back in his chair and tried to fold his hands in his lap instead.

"As long as it's torture just to walk down the stairs," he retorted. "But I'm sick of being cooped up inside. I want to visit the magic shop on the other side of town. They have some items I'd like to look at. Would either of you like to accompany me?"

Elsa gave a small smile, finding it rather amusing that Jorik needed any kind of assistance. He had once been a very self-reliant man, and now he had been reduced to an almost childlike state. She pitied him, she really did, but she felt he had let it go a little too far. It was almost as if he had become too comfortable with being pampered, something she had once been accustomed to herself.

"If you'd like, Jorik, I'll go with you a bit later," she offered. "I've never been to one of these shops, and I think it'd be an interesting experience."

Taking a long draft of his beer, Aldrik slammed the stein back down and wiped the foam from his beard. "As much as I appreciate your dabbling in that nonsense, I think I'll pass. Besides, I have patrol in a couple hours and I intend to relax until then."

"Speaking of which, has Kristoff made any effort to resume his duties? Last I heard he was still refusing to lead his squad in patrols," Jorik inquired.

Aldrik simply shrugged at the question. "No idea, I haven't kept tabs on him in awhile. I gave up after he started getting moody with everyone."

"No, he hasn't," Elsa groaned. "I spoke with him yesterday, and he's still being confrontational and stubborn. He even said a few things that he shouldn't have, which only upset me more."

"It can't be helped," Aldrik replied around the edge of his glass. "There isn't going to be any talking sense to him. He's going to have to come around on his own. It's just the way he is right now."

Just then a guard approached their table and saluted, causing Elsa to roll her eyes in annoyance. She didn't much care for the formalities, and most of the men knew this, but many still treated her as one expected royalty to be treated. It was one habit she had been trying her best to break everyone from, with little success.

Still saluting, the man stood rigid until Elsa told him to relax. "There is a man here that wishes to speak with you, Your Majesty. He says he comes bearing a message."

Raising an eyebrow in curiosity, Elsa looked at the others before returning her attention to the soldier. "Please tell them I will be with them momentarily."

Giving a stiff nod, the guard turned and marched out of the dining hall. "Well, I suppose I better go see what this is about. Hopefully it's not bad news," she commented before rising from her seat to leave.

In the entry hall of the inn, the guard was speaking with a wiry little man who couldn't be much taller than Elsa. She noticed he hunched over a bit at the shoulders, and one hand looked like a mangled mess, missing several fingers. He had a crooked nose, almost as if it had been broken and never healed properly. His hair was jet black and looked a bit unkempt, but she couldn't help but think that if it were brushed out it wouldn't look as bad. Still, the man seemed to carry himself with an air of confidence, and that seemed to make him a bit friendly.

When she approached, the man's face lit up and he gave a deep bow. "Ah, Queen Elsa, I am humbled that you would receive me."

Rolling her eyes once more, Elsa patiently and politely folded her hands in front of her and smiled. "The pleasure is all mine. What is your name?"

"Alec, Your Majesty," the man replied as he righted himself. "I serve Master Natan, standing member of the city council."

Elsa tilted her head slightly as she considered the man. "I see. I understand you have a message for me?"

Nodding a little too eagerly, Alec rubbed his hands together enthusiastically. "Oh yes, indeed. Master Natan would like to extend an invitation to you to visit him at his manor tonight for dinner, around six o'clock. He says he has an important matter he wishes to discuss with you, and that he would be most honored if you accepted."

Blinking, Elsa mulled over the invitation this Natan had offered. "Your master is on the city council you say?"

"Correct, Your Majesty. He has been a long time member and is quite influential," Alec informed her.

Placing a finger to her chin in thought, Elsa debated taking the man's invitation. She had to admit she was rather curious as to what this was all about, and the only way to find out was to pay this Natan a visit. On top of that, she needed to better acquaint herself with the city council anyway. This seemed like the perfect opportunity to do just that.

After a few moments of silence, she smiled at the man and gave him her answer. "Tell your master that I accept his invitation. I will be there this evening."

Excitedly, Alec beamed at the queen and bowed once more. "Most excellent, Your Majesty. Master Natan will be most pleased. His estate is just beyond the northern gate. It will be the one with horses and a stable painted a lovely blue on the right-hand side."

With one final bow, Alec showed himself out the door of the inn. Turning back towards the dining hall and her friends, Elsa made her way back to their table by the large window. She wondered exactly what it was this Natan wanted with her, and why it was so urgent she accept his request.

As she took her seat, she gave Jorik an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, Jorik, but we're going to have to reschedule our shopping trip. Something has come up that needs my attention."

This news caused him to become rather deflated. "I see. If you don't mind my asking, what exactly was this message?"

"Oh, it was from a member of the city council. A Master Natan," she answered. "He has requested an audience with me tonight at his manor."

Both of her companions looked at one another and smirked. "A dinner date with a possible suitor? I thought you weren't interested in all that," Aldrik teased.

Massaging the bridge of her nose, Elsa let out an exasperated sigh. "You know full well that I have no intentions of marrying and handing my kingdom over to someone that just wants the throne for themselves. No, this is a business invitation. Apparently councilman Natan has something highly important that he wishes to discuss with me. Something urgent."

Jorik leaned forward in his chair, ignoring the pain that shot up his arms and chest. "I wonder what it could be. Did he hint at what this was all about?"

"No, only that it was a matter that he needed to discuss with me," she repeated.

"Would you like me to go with you? You know, just in case," Aldrik asked.

Elsa shook her head reassuringly. "No, but thank you Aldrik. I don't think it will be necessary. Besides, I'll have my personal guard there, so my safety shouldn't be an issue. Besides, I have my powers, and with the training that Jorik has been having me endure, I think I can handle just about any problem that should arise."

Concern washed over his face, and he leaned in just a little and lowered his voice. "Are you absolutely sure? I don't mind, really."

Once again, she shook her head. She knew what this was about. He still felt guilty about what had happened to Anna. He blamed himself for her death, that he couldn't find her in time to save her from her terrible fate. While this caused Elsa to admire the man as a close friend, she didn't want him to continue feeling like it was his fault.

"I'm sure Aldrik. I'll be fine, I promise," she reassured him. "But thank you for the concern."

"Elsa, listen to me. You don't know who this guy is, and with everything that has happened, I really don't think it's a good idea to go in to this completely unprepared," Aldrik urged. "Let me go with you. I'll keep an eye on everything while you have your little party."

Carefully folding his arms, then immediately regretting the decision, Jorik gave Elsa a stern look. "Your Highness, I highly recommend you reconsider. He's right, you know. We don't know anything about this Natan or what his intentions really are. You could be walking into a trap and not realize it. I would feel much better knowing Aldrik was there watching over you."

Frustrated with their insistence, Elsa let out a restrained sigh. "Alright, I'll let you escort me. I'm still going to have my guard as well though. I really don't think anything is going to happen. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go pick out a dress for tonight."


	3. Chapter 2 - A Festive Warning

**CHAPTER 2**

 _A Festive Warning_

Evening came rather quickly for Elsa, as she had spent the better part of the afternoon pacing about her room. It had been just over four months since she and her companions had fled Arendelle, and in that time she had become more and more accustomed to living as a commoner. Up until she revealed herself to everyone only a month prior, she was able to walk among the people and disappear in a crowd. She could wander the town and go shopping by herself, an activity she had never really experienced before. It was an activity she found to be rather exhilarating and calming at the same time.

That is, until Anna's unfortunate passing. It was something Elsa thought she was prepared for, something she almost believed she could handle. However, she was proved just how horribly wrong she really was. She was barely able to function on a daily basis, and only really felt grounded when training under Jorik or spending what little time and energy she could muster with her close friends. After Anna's kidnapping, Elsa rarely ever had time alone. She was always tailed by two guards, something she wasn't really pleased with. Back home, she was usually able to wander the palace without an escort constantly at her heels. Now, she knew no such luxury.

It was for the best, however, and she knew it. With how easily bandits were able to steal Anna away, more precautions than ever before had to be taken to ensure her safety. While it was two guards in and around the inn, when traveling outside along the city streets she had anywhere between four and six men with her. Luckily, she was finally able to convince Liam that as long as she had Aldrik - and Jorik once he recovered - with her, the extra guards weren't really necessary. Eventually they came to a compromise; she only needed to have two guards with her should Aldrik also escort her around town.

So when it came time to leave for Councilman Natan's estate, Elsa was standing in the entry hall to the inn waiting for the hunter to make his way downstairs. She had decided on wearing the white and blue dress she had worn the night of her address to the troops. It wasn't her favorite light blue dress with the sparkling cape, but she felt it was still lovely. In any event, Aldrik was taking his sweet time, which was ironic considering the hard time he always gave her when she asked him to go into town with her. She couldn't wait to give him a much needed ribbing about this.

Nearly ten more minutes passed before he made his way to the entry hall, and Elsa had to cover her mouth with her hand to prevent from both gawking and giggling. Aldrik had actually dressed up, at least as much as someone such as himself could, and had slicked back his hair rather than parting in down the middle. He had a frown on his face, and was visibly unhappy about having to do this. Or perhaps he was nervous? Elsa couldn't tell for sure, but she had a sneaking suspicion that he was just a little out of his comfort zone.

She managed to calm herself enough to comment on his appearance, forgetting all about teasing him for being late. "You actually look quite nice, Aldrik. I'm honestly surprised you're taking this so seriously."

This didn't help soften his mood any. "Whatever. Let's get this over with so I can get these ugly rags off. How anyone can stand to dress like this is beyond me."

Taking a step towards him, Elsa grabbed the collar of his coat and started straightening and fidgeting with it. "Well, I think you look quite handsome. I would have had your hair done a little differently, but the fact that you put any effort into it at all is wonderful. And your clothes are not ugly. They suit you rather well."

"Wait, you think I look good? Seriously?" He raised an eyebrow in disbelief.

Smiling to herself, Elsa rested a hand on his chest and looked up straight into his eyes. "Yes, I do," she said. Then, realizing what she was doing, she quickly looked away to hide her blushing. "Now, quit stalling. Let's go meet this Natan."

They strolled out of the inn, tailed by two guards like always, and got into a small carriage that was awaiting them, and began slowly making their way through the winding streets to the northern gate of the city. Branisberg had become much larger than what was contained just within the walls over the years, with the outskirts stretching out far in just about every direction. The only area that hadn't really been developed was the lake on the eastern side, as there was a mandate to keep it clean from the cluster of houses and businesses that sprang up on the other sides of the city.

It was a quiet ride, and Elsa was thankful for that. After the awkward moment they had shared, they did their best to avoid looking at one another. There were a few attempts at conversation, but neither knew what to say to the other and so they'd fall back into silence.

Finally, Aldrik decided it was time to discuss the dinner itself. "So what exactly do you think is going to happen? I've never been to one of these fancy parties before."

"Oh, I don't really know myself," she admitted. "We didn't exactly have a lot of dinner parties back in Arendelle. I only entertained guests on a few occasions, and it was never anything more than to discuss trade agreements or some minor political nonsense that would bore you to tears. There was a couple times where I was approached by some hopeful king or duke that wanted me to marry their son, but as you can see that never happened."

"As a woman," she continued, "most thought I was gullible and slow witted, incapable of running a kingdom. They believed that I should be more than willing to throw myself at their feet and have their children, all while handing over my throne. So, when it came to dealing with other lords and ladies, I seemed to catch everyone off guard. It made political dealings and other foreign affairs quite interesting, if not amusing."

Raising an eyebrow at her, Aldrik grinned a little as he watched her from the corner of his eyes. "You wouldn't, would you?"

The question left Elsa a little confused. "I wouldn't do what?"

"Marry for political reasons," Aldrik inquired.

"Oh please, you should know me better than that by now, Aldrik," Elsa said with a scoff.

"So I take it that's a no," he teased in return.

Sighing, Elsa rolled her eyes at him, but still smiled. "Yes, Aldrik, that would be a no. Odds are I'll never marry. I just don't see it in my future. Not only does being queen make it rather difficult to meet someone that doesn't just want to steal away my kingdom, it also would intimidate most ordinary men. Which is fine, I've resigned myself to being alone. I just wasn't meant to find love."

"You know, not all guys are that way," Aldrik said with a shrug. "I mean wanting to take your kingdom. Some would like you regardless if you were queen or a barmaid."

Elsa eyed him warily at this. "What makes you say that? I thought you had sworn off love and women."

"W-well, I-I have," he stuttered. "I'm just saying that somewhere out there is a man that would like you for you, and wouldn't care that you are queen."

She was about to refute that that was even a possibility, but she soon took notice that they had moved beyond the northern gate and were actually nearing their destination. The sun hadn't quite slipped down beyond the west horizon just yet, but the sky was painted in oranges and reds. The moon was already visible, and it looked to be full and bright. With clear skies and the warmth of summer, it was a wonderful evening to be out of doors.

It wasn't much longer before they came upon the blue stable that Alec had described to Elsa. There were no horses to be seen, presumably already in their stalls for the night, but the property was enormous and beautifully kept. In the distance they could see what looked to be an apple orchard cordoned off from the front pasture, and there was an immaculate garden that encompassed the house.

No, house was not the proper word for it. Palace was a better description.

It was three stories high, made of dark gray stonework and solid oak frames. It was almost like a small castle that stretched forever in either direction. The bottom floor had tall arched windows along the northwest corner, which seemed to be the dining hall. The rest of the windows were slightly more modest in size, if only just. The large front double-doors were stained a dark brown, and there was a circular balcony on the third floor that overlooked the courtyard. Whoever this Councilman Natan was, he was doing quite well for himself.

The carriage slowly jounced into the cobbled courtyard of the manor, and the driver brought it to a stop in front of the set of large double-doors. As Elsa and Aldrik exited the small cab, one of the doors swung inward and a familiar face came ambling out to greet them.

The odd, wiry man bowed low as he came within speaking distance, once again making a show of it. "Ah, Your Majesty, it is wonderful to see you again. Master Natan has been expecting you."

Politely folding her hands in front of herself, Elsa gave a slight nod as a greeting and smiled. "It is a pleasure to see you again as well, Alec. I apologize for running late, as there is no excuse for it."

"We are still awaiting a couple other guests, Your Majesty, so I do not believe it will be a problem at all," Alec replied as he righted himself.

He seemed to be rather graceful for a man that was disfigured and somewhat crippled. Elsa hadn't noticed it back at the inn, but after watching his approach she saw that he walked with a limp on one side. Making a mental note of it, she wondered what other characters she may run into at this dinner.

Growing a bit curious at this, Elsa took a quick glance at the other carriages that were nestled in one corner of the courtyard. There were three plus theirs. "Just out of curiosity, Alec," she began as she returned her attention to the strange little man, "how many other guests is Lord Natan expecting?"

Once again the man seemed to be excited that the queen was even speaking to him. He began rubbing his hands together, overjoyed to be acknowledged by her. "There should be two more, Your Majesty. Lord Arngrim and Constable Richart. Lady Malvina, Councilman Sidenius, and Lord Valdon are already awaiting inside. If you will follow me, I will show you inside and to the ballroom."

This caused Aldrik to blink in surprise. "Wait, he has a ballroom in there?"

Alec turned and studied Aldrik for a moment before replying. "Indeed he does. It's nothing as extravagant as the Royal Ballroom back in Arendelle I'm sure, but it is where he tends to entertain his guests. Please, right this way."

Without hesitating further, Elsa and her small entourage followed Alec into the entry hall of the manor. It was a bit more than they expected, as the ceiling vaulted upwards, and there was a grand staircase that wound its way up the center to the second and third floors. The room was lightly decorated, mostly with portraits of what Elsa could only assume were relatives.

Unfortunately, she didn't have much time to take in the rest of the paintings as Alec ushered them through a hallway to the side. It was wide and strangely lacking in carpeting, and instead was solid oak, much like the framework outside. Off to the side were several doors, all of which were closed, preventing them from taking a peek at what laid beyond. At the end of the corridor was another set of double-doors, though this time a bit smaller.

Pushing them open, they swung inwards to a large room that nearly matched the entry in size, though this one only seemed to reach the top of the second floor. On either side was a servant holding the doors open for them, bowing just as deeply as Alec had. Once the party crossed the threshold, the room itself jumped at them. Along the walls were large marble pillars that stretched up to the domed ceiling. Attached to each pillar was a gas lantern that was already lit, filling the room with a soft glow. The floor was a lighter wood than the corridor leading in had, and it was patterned into peculiar starbursts. It was interesting, if not a bit unusual, though the detail was amazing. There was no real furniture to speak of, aside from the occasional table with candles and potted plants atop it. The walls were lined with various tapestries and more paintings, though these were more reminiscent of the Renaissance era than they were familial portraits. The wall that faced west looking out over the courtyard was lined with some of those tall windows they had seen before, and the evening sun shone down into the massive hall.

The sight made Aldrik scoff, and Elsa cleared her throat at him as a warning. "Please behave yourself," she whispered. "I do not want anything embarrassing to happen, at least not before I find out what this Natan wants. Can you do that for me, please?"

"I'm sorry," he replied in annoyance, "but don't you think this is a bit too much? I mean he's a simple member of the city council. What is a guy like that doing with this kind of money?"

"He probably inherited it. He is a noble, in case you didn't know," Elsa answered.

He was just about to argue the point with her when Alec interrupted him. "Master Natan, may I present to you Queen Elsa of Arendelle."

The man Alec was bowing to was a bit older than Elsa had expected, with brown hair invaded by a bit of gray here and there. His face was a little wrinkled, though not so much that he appeared too old. He had a warm smile, and his dark green eyes seemed to have a twinkle to them that was very inviting. Instead of the typical blue or black that most nobles usually wore, his outfit was more earthen in tone. With a green overcoat, brown pants and boots, and lightly tanned shirt, he most certainly didn't look the part of a lord. In fact, he seemed more fatherly, or even perhaps grandfatherly, in appearance than he did some stuffy noble. He even had the physique of a jolly old man to match.

Taking a deep bow that Elsa had come to expect from the inhabitants of the manor, Natan too made a show of it. "Ah! Your Majesty, it is such an honor that you would accept my request. I realize that this is a far cry from the palace you are accustomed to, but I have done the best I could with what I have been given."

Elsa immediately gave him a smile in return, which was far more sincere than she had planned. "It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Lord Natan-"

"Please, just call me Natan, or Nat if you prefer," he interrupted.

Stifling a giggle, Elsa kept on as if she weren't cut off. "It is a pleasure to meet you. And your estate is beautiful."

This seemed to please the man, as he beamed brightly at her. "Well, thank you, Your Majesty. I hope you found my home easily enough."

"Are you kidding," Aldrik interrupted with a light scoff. "You'd have to be blind not to see this place. It towers over everything in sight."

Nearly cringing at his outburst, Elsa did the best she could not to acknowledge him. However, Natan began chuckling. "I suppose you're right, my friend. Might I ask your name?"

Now Elsa was just nervous, though she didn't know why. Natan seemed to not take any offense to Aldrik's comment, though he could be hiding that fact just like she was. Regardless, she braced herself just in case.

"The name's Aldrik, Your Lordshipness," the hunter replied.

The desire to hide her face in her hands and shake her head was strong, but once again Natan seemed to take it in stride. He even grinned a little. "Oh, there's no need for titles and formalities. Like I said, just call me Natan or Nat. Whichever suits you. I never cared much for those politics, in spite of the fact that I'm on the city council. Don't let that fact fool you."

"Alright, sure," Aldrik replied disinterestedly.

Glancing around the room, Natan seemed to be looking for someone in particular. Finally, he motioned for one of the servants to come, and returned his attention to his new guests. "Say, are you a man that likes his drink?"

Splitting from ear to ear, Aldrik had the world's biggest grin on his face at the mention of alcohol. "Does a bear sh-"

Once more Elsa cleared her throat, this time to cut him off before he said something horribly inappropriate. She even shot him a warning glance for good measure.

Luckily, he got the hint. "Er, what I mean to say is, yeah I'd love something to drink."

"Excellent," Natan exclaimed happily. "Kaleb, please bring this fine gentleman a lager. From the cask we brought in from the capitol, if you will."

With a bow and a "yes m'lord", the servant disappeared through a set of doors on the eastern side of the room. Looking back to Elsa and Aldrik, Natan gave them an apologetic look. "I must apologize, Your Majesty, but I need to check on the other guests, and I wish to see if the others have arrived yet. Is it alright if I take my leave for just a bit?"

"Of course, Natan," Elsa said with a smile. "There is no need to ask for permission in your own home."

With yet another bow, he too disappeared down the hall towards the front entry of the manor. Looking around the room, Elsa counted eleven other people, none of which she was familiar with. She suspected she could figure out who was who if she really wanted to, but she decided she'd just wait to be introduced properly. Why there were so many people for only three carriages she couldn't figure out, unless of course some rode in and stabled their horses. That could account for the extra numbers, but she wasn't seeing any personal guards anywhere. In fact, she hadn't seen a single armed man inside the manor besides her own since they arrived.

The other guests seemed to either not notice they were there, or had no idea who they were. In either event, Elsa didn't much care. She hadn't missed mingling with the nobility since leaving Arendelle, and truth be told she wasn't really looking forward to doing any tonight either. However, she knew it was inevitable that she'd have to make her presence known, but for the time being she was keeping out of the limelight.

Giving her companion a hard look, Elsa nearly slapped Aldrik on the arm. "I thought I asked you to behave," she whispered angrily.

"What? I didn't say anything bad," he said, offended. "Besides, the old geezer doesn't seem to care. In fact, I think he likes me."

"You got incredibly lucky there, Aldrik," she admitted, albeit a little more harshly than she needed to. "Please, for the love of God, watch your tongue a little more closely will you?"

Rolling his eyes at her, Aldrik folded his arms across his chest defiantly. "I'm doing fine enough, thank you very much. Oh look, are those snacks?"

He was looking at a table that was set on the opposite side of the room with several different dishes. There were various kinds of fruits and pastries, and something that looked oddly familiar and welcoming.

Chocolate.

Immediately, Elsa's mouth began to water. She couldn't remember the last time she had had any. She thought back to her coronation and that special moment she shared with her sister over the delightful smell of assorted chocolates. After that, she had made sure there was always chocolate any time she entertained guests, and even on a couple special occasions where it was just her and Anna. The stuff was a rather luxurious import, but it was something she was willing to indulge in. Having such a sweet tooth could have easily been Arendelle's financial downfall if she weren't careful. Well, if the kingdom hadn't been invaded and burnt to the ground first.

Without a second thought, Elsa grabbed Aldrik's hand and dragged him across the room to the buffet. Of course, he started fingering the different foods, but stopped after she finally swatted his hand away and gave him a scowl. She went right for the chocolates, and delicately snatched one up and took a small nibble. The moment the heavenly sweet touched her tongue, she was in ecstasy. Before she could control herself, she tossed the rest into her mouth and was already grabbing a second piece.

Aldrik noticed her behavior and smirked. "So much for behaving ourselves, huh?"

Shooting him a glare, Elsa forced herself to remain quiet enough so only he could hear her. "I said _you_ had to behave yourself. All I am doing is having a couple chocolates."

"Oh please, you're practically cramming them into your face," he retorted with a snicker.

"You are dangerously close to being on my bad side, Aldrik," Elsa warned. "You are lucky you haven't messed anything up yet. Need I remind you that you are here as an escort, and that is all."

"You're enjoying me being here and you know it, queenie," he teased, grinning at her.

This caused her to shoot him another warning glance. "Do you want me to hate you? Because I will freeze you to the floor and leave you here if you keep this up."

Just then Aldrik caught sight of the fellow that was sent to fetch him some beer, carrying a large stein atop a serving tray. Once he reached them, the man bowed while managing to not spill a drop, impressing both the hunter and the queen. After retrieving his drink, Aldrik made to thank the servant, but the man disappeared as quickly as he came.

Movement by the hallway told them that the other guests had arrived, with Natan and Alec leading the way. As they entered, the rest of the guests moved to greet them, almost as if they were old friends. For all Elsa knew, they were. Choosing to ignore the fact that she knew none of them, she decided to approach the group and finally introduce herself.

As she drew near, she caught Natan's eye and he turned his attention to her. "Ah, everyone, we have a very special guest this evening. For those of you who have never had the pleasure to visit the capitol, I present to you Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa," he said with a grand gesture.

The others quickly turned to face her, all with stunned looks on their faces. Elsa presumed that it was due to the fact that none had recognized her, which she was actually fine with. She had never quite liked being the center of attention, as it always made her uncomfortable. However, she had grown used to it somewhat after her year of ruling the kingdom, so she managed to finally learn how to remain cool and collected even under the most stressful of circumstances when it came to dealings of the royal court. It appeared that she would have to do so once again.

The first person to regain their composure was an older woman, one that would have been about the same age as Elsa's mother if she were still alive. The woman was thin like her mother as well, though her hair was light brown rather than jet black, her eyes dark brown rather than light blue, and her face touched by age. Her dress was a lovely violet hemmed with white lace, and she wore what appeared to be a pearl choker around her neck.

With a light curtsy and a nod, the woman smiled at Elsa and introduced herself. "I am Malvina, Duchess of Friedan, Your Majesty. It is absolutely amazing and wonderful that you have managed to make it through the brutal attack that Arendelle has suffered."

"Thank you, Lady Malvina," Elsa replied. "It has been difficult, but we have somehow managed regardless of the odds. Unfortunately, the worst is yet to come."

Before the woman could respond, a tall, bulky fellow with fiery red hair and a bulbous nose cut her off. "Lord Valdon of Nothberg, Your Highness. It is an honor to meet you at last."

Once again, Elsa thanked the man before moving on to the next guest. Soon, everyone had introduced themselves, with a couple introducing their families as well. Brothers, sisters, nephews. It seemed that just about everyone that meant something to these people were there for some reason or another. Several came off as incredibly arrogant, and she made a mental note of who and intended to avoid them at all costs.

It wasn't before long that Natan called everyone into the dining hall for supper. The room was equally as big as the ballroom had been, and it had the same large windows looking out over the estate. Instead of gas lamps the room was illuminated by several immaculate crystal chandeliers that hung rather low, allowing the lamplighters to access them. The floor was tiled in different shades of blue, with seemingly no pattern in particular to speak of. At the center sat a long dinner table, much like the one back home, and it was laden with all manner of food, more than enough for the party's attendees.

Natan moved to the head of the table, and Alec showed Elsa and Aldrik to the seats next to him. One after another the others were seated as well, until almost every seat had been taken up. After everyone was in place, servants set about to dishing up whatever the lords and ladies desired. Drinks were poured, plates were full, and everyone seemed to be relatively pleased.

Clearing his throat, Natan stood from his chair and called for everyone's attention. Then, raising his glass into the air, he smiled broadly. "Friends, it is a pleasure to have you all here tonight! Some of you I haven't seen in what feels like ages, and for that I am truly sorry. I have been busier than I would have liked with council duties, but also with ensuring that you, dear Richart, have had enough funding for the city watch. Since the resistance merged with the watch, it unfortunately has become even more hectic than I would like. But, that by no means outshines the protection that they provide us during these troubling times."

"Which brings me to my next point," he said with a nod and what Elsa could have sworn was a wink towards her. "We have been blessed with the presence of Her Royal Majesty. I, like many of you, had feared the worst after I had received word of the invasion. The capitol had fallen, and with it the disappearance of our lovely queen."

"Well, thank goodness we have found her. Or she found us, rather," he mused thoughtfully. "When I learned she was in the city, it was difficult to believe at first. I mean, who would have thought that of all the places she could turn up, it would be this modest town on the fringe of the kingdom? Not I. Then there was that magnificent display just a little over a month gone, and that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that Her Magnificence was alive and well!"

Looking about the room, he lowered his cup for just a moment and grinned once more. "Thus, you know what I had to do. I had to throw a party! I wanted my closest friends to come together, and forgive me for being so bold, Your Majesty, I had prayed that you would be willing to come here as well. To host a dinner for the queen! There can be no greater honor than that I should think."

Finally, he raised his glass one last time and raised his voice. "So I say we drink to her health! Drink to her long rule of our great kingdom! And most of all, drink to our long and enduring friendships!"

At that, everyone raised their glasses to honor Elsa, which made her blush just a little. It had been a long while since she had experienced this much attention, and she wasn't quite sure how she felt about it. Looking across the table to Aldrik, she noticed he seemed rather uncomfortable, though she couldn't tell if it was from the awkwardness of the situation or from just being there.

Dinner went rather quickly, with everyone partaking in small talk between courses. Elsa got to know her neighbor, Lord Arngrim's wife Haldri, quite well. She was a music enthusiast that could play the violin, and enjoyed attending operas. Her husband owned a large estate in Bjornstad, which was a couple days west of Branisberg. He also apparently owned one of the largest cattle ranches in the area, or at least that's what she claimed.

Aldrik spent much of the evening listening to Councilman Sidenius' son drone on about how important his father was, and how one day he'd inherit the family fortune, and that he intended to do away with the council altogether because they were ineffective and useless. At one point, he simply stopped listening to the boy and focused on his wine instead. Elsa would have guessed he had at least twice as much as everyone else, but it didn't seem to affect him in the slightest. He could certainly hold his alcohol better than most men she'd seen.

Towards the end of dinner, when everyone was stuffed beyond belief, Natan leaned over towards Elsa and lowered his voice considerably. "Your Majesty, as I stated in my message there is a matter I desperately need to discuss with you. But not here. It is something I believe best left to the privacy of my study."

Once dishes were cleared and everyone had had enough sitting around, they returned to the ballroom to continue their discussions of who was wealthier, or at least that's what Aldrik came to believe. He didn't quite like most of the people there, and he trusted them even less. Still, he was there for Elsa and he knew it, and he had to keep an eye on things no matter what.

Eventually, Natan excused himself and led the young monarch to the second floor, her personal guard and Aldrik in tow. Down a hallway, a turn to the right, and they came to large circular room with red carpeting. Along the walls were shelves neatly stacked with books, a few odd knick-knacks, and for some reason the skull of a dog or wolf. At the center was a large oak desk stained the same dark brown that much of the other wood in the manor had been colored, and it was adorned with papers and an inkwell that was nearly empty. Beside it, a couple chairs that didn't seem nearly as welcoming as the rest of the interior, though they had a strange design. More of those gas lamps that they had seen downstairs hung from the walls, lighting the room in a comfortable yellowish glow.

Moving behind the desk, Natan took a seat in his chair and invited the others to do the same. As they sat, he leaned forward on the desk and sighed. "Your Highness, I'm afraid I do not come bearing good news."

Staring blankly at the man, Elsa folded her hands in her lap and sighed. "I assumed as much."

"Yes, well, this is a pretty serious matter, and not at all favorable towards you," he informed her. "You see, in a few days time the council will be meeting to discuss what exactly they plan to do with you and the resistance."

"Wait, what do you mean? Plan to do what to me?" She was a bit confused by this news.

Natan had a solemn look on his face, and didn't seem pleased at all at what he was about to tell her. "They intend to vote on whether or not to eject you and the resistance from the city."

Slowly beginning to worry, she didn't quite know what to do. "Why would they do that? Especially now, after all this time?"

"There are those that feel you present a threat to the city," he replied. "You being here is like a beacon for the enemy, telling them and the world where you are. Or so the detractors claim."

Elsa didn't like this at all. She had tried to do everything she could to prevent exactly what was happening, and now her fear had come to life. Her people no longer trusted her, nor did they feel safe with her there. Now they intended to decide if they should toss her out of the only place she had left to call home.

"Unfortunately, there's more," Natan continued. "There is also the matter of your position as queen that is being questioned."

That was not something she had been prepared to hear. "They question my claim to the throne?"

The old man nodded gravely. "They claim that since the capitol has been destroyed and the throne conquered by the enemy, you are no longer their queen. Many didn't really want you to rule to begin with, and there have been several members who have spoken out against you in the past. Some even wanted to secede from the kingdom, considering we are on the boundary between Arendelle and Thaumgar. Thankfully, those vocal few were never able to get the votes they needed to succeed."

This was a harsh blow to Elsa's already frail opinion of herself. There were those that believed she was no longer queen, and that they didn't want her to rule to begin with _._ This was unsettling news, and made her feel a bit nauseated.

Then she had an idea. "Your man Alec, he said you were rather influential among the other council members. How easily do you think they could be swayed in our favor?"

"I honestly don't know," he said thoughtfully. "I do have a few friends that are quite powerful themselves. Odds are, they can persuade those that wouldn't listen to me, and believe me, I've tried already to quell this vote before it even got off the ground."

Chancing a quick glance at Aldrik, Elsa saw that his jaw was clenched and his hands were balled into fists. Turning her attention back to Natan, she prodded him for information. "How many sit on the council?"

"Fifty-two," he informed, "though with the expansion of the city in the last year or so, they are looking to increase that by several heads."

"That many governing the city? Surely that's a bit much," she commented with a bit of skepticism.

Natan gave a small shrug. "Well, the council governs the many villages that are in the area as well. There are the guild representatives that sit on the council, Constable Richart and Sidenius, plus quite a few dukes and various other lords from the surrounding areas. There are several that live just down this road alone. Being so far away from the capitol, we've had to take many matters into our own hands to rule this city and make it prosper."

"I see," she said as she looked down at her lap. "Of these fifty-two, how many can you safely say would vote in our favor?"

"Less than half, sadly," he answered solemnly. "Though there are still the neutral and undecided members who can hopefully be swayed."

This made Elsa frown. "And what is the requirement for a vote to pass?"

"A majority vote is all that is required," Natan said, leaning back in his chair and letting out a restrained sigh.

"We need to earn more votes if we're to win this," she said determinedly.

"Well, I will do what I can, Your Highness," he replied, "but unfortunately I can only do so much. However, I will speak with the others who I know for sure will vote against such a ridiculous thing."

Elsa gave him a small smile. "Thank you, Natan, for your support. You will keep me informed, yes?"

"Absolutely, Your Highness," Natan said with a nod. "I will be sure to let you know just how successful I am. We only have a few days to sway some of the more influential members, so we have our work cut out for us. But you just leave everything to me."

She didn't like this one bit. It had taken a couple months to build up the resistance to where it was now, and it was still in its infancy. Having the support of the city taken away from them would be a devastating blow to the whole operation, and Elsa knew they couldn't afford to lose everything they had worked so hard to obtain. To make matters worse, many on the council no longer wanted her as their queen and wished for her to be removed from her position. Elsa was not happy about this at all, though she admitted she didn't really enjoy being queen anyway. But that didn't stop her from feeling unwanted, and she was scared of what the repercussions of the vote could be.

Suddenly there was a knock at the door, and Natan beckoned for the person to enter. It was his servant Alec, and he had a horrified look on his face. He was trembling and breathing heavily. Elsa assumed he had run up the stairs as fast as he could.

"I come bearing terrible news, Master! It's Lady Malvina," he said shakily, "she's been found dead near the library!"

The news came as quite a shock to everyone, and Natan's face was drained of its color. "When did this happen?"

"We don't know, Master," Alec replied. "I only know she had left to use the washroom and never came back. Her husband went looking for her and found her."

Panic washed over Natan's face, and he quickly stood up and headed for the door. "I want the men to search the premises. The culprit can't have gotten far."

Obeying his orders, Alec hurriedly left the room. The others looked to one another but said nothing. They were at a loss for what to say.

"I'm so very sorry about this, Your Highness," Natan said apologetically. "I don't know how this could have happened. Between everyone's personal guards and the men I have hired to protect my estate, no one should have been able to sneak in."

"Unless, of course, they were already inside," Elsa offered.

Aldrik crossed his arms and looked none to pleased with this. "How much do you trust your staff?"

Blinking, Natan shook his head in disbelief. "Implicitly. Why?"

"Because there is a chance this could be an inside job," Aldrik answered. "If your home is as heavily protected as you claim, then the one responsible had to have already been inside."

"That's impossible," Natan retorted defiantly, "my staff wouldn't do that. They are loyal down to the last man. There is no way any of my people are responsible for this."

"Excuse me," Elsa interrupted, "but shouldn't we make ourselves present? I can't imagine the husband is going to sit by idly while we discuss this."

They quickly made their way downstairs, taking the hallway opposite of the one that led to the ballroom. At the end of the hall, they found the others gathered and speaking in hushed tones. A couple men in what appeared to be some sort of uniforms were trying to calm Malvina's husband. He was shouting at them, and made several threats that Elsa highly doubted he would actually see through.

One of the guards had his hands up in an attempt to quell the man's anger. "My Lord, please calm yourself. We are doing everything we can to find the one responsible."

This only seemed to further enrage him. "Doing everything you can!? My wife is dead because of your incompetence!"

"Marius, please my friend, calm yourself," Natan pleaded as they approached the others.

"You! You are responsible," Marius shouted, pointing accusingly at their host. "If you had had more security around this place, this never would have happened!"

Stepping forward, Aldrik gave the man a questioning look. "Did your wife have any enemies, Marius?"

The question seemed to catch Marius off guard, as he blinked and shook his head. "What kind of question is that?"

"It's important because it could help us figure out who did this," Aldrik said matter-of-factly.

For a moment, Marius was lost in thought, unsure of how to answer. "None that I am aware of, no."

"Are you absolutely sure? She was an important person," Aldrik stated. "She must have stepped on some toes at one point."

"Yes, I am positive," Marius responded angrily. "What exactly are you insinuating?"

Aldrik simply shrugged at the man. "I'm not insinuating anything. But it's obvious someone had it out for your wife, otherwise she wouldn't be lying dead on the floor."

He had a point. Being a noble, there was a good chance that she did in fact have enemies. Perhaps someone that wished to take her estate, or held a grudge over some trivial matter. It could have also been for some sort of political gain, but Elsa couldn't figure out exactly what that would be.

Then a thought occurred to her. "Marius, are you on the city council?"

"Yes, Your Highness, I am," he said apprehensively. "But I don't see what that has to do with my wife's death."

"I think that perhaps someone did this to get to you," she replied. "To scare you into voting against me."

There was a long silence. The others had stood by and watched the exchange, but none said a word. There was a grave expression on nearly everyone's face, and they refused to look at Malvina's body. The sight of blood and a still body on the floor was enough to make their stomachs turn.

Finally, Aldrik managed to pull Elsa away from the crowd so he could talk to her. "Don't you find it a little convenient that this happened the same night you're invited to dinner?"

"I don't know," Elsa admitted. "Do you think I was the one they intended to kill?"

"No," he said, "but I do think that the message was more for you than for Marius. It's possible that someone is trying to prove that they can get to you at any time."

Elsa sighed at the thought. "Like I don't have enough to worry about as it is."

After managing to finally calm to calm Marius enough to deal with the situation, Natan turned to speak with Elsa once more. "I must apologize for this, Your Majesty. I don't know how this could have happened, but I assure you my men will find the one responsible for this and bring them to justice."

"No, it's alright Natan," she replied as she shook her head. "There was no way you could have known this would happen. I highly doubt it could have been prevented anyway."

Letting out a sigh, the man looked downright defeated. "Perhaps, however I still feel responsible for this. I put my friends in danger, and this is the price I pay. No matter what I say or do, this can never be undone."

There was an awkward moment of silence, then Aldrik tapped Elsa on the shoulder. "I'd hate to interrupt, but it's probably for the best if we get going."

Nodding her head in agreement, Elsa apologized for cutting their visit short. Ordering Alec to escort them to the door, Natan bade them a good evening before returning his attention to the grieving husband and his terrified guests. They were quiet as they walked towards the entry hall, and soon found themselves standing before the massive doors that led to the courtyard beyond.

Swinging one of the doors open for them, they soon said their farewells and climbed back into their carriage, glad for the night to finally be over with. As the coach jounced and jolted down the cobbled road, Elsa thought about everything that had happened. She was nervous about the upcoming council meeting, though she believed she should have been more worried about someone making an attempt on her life. However, with everything that had happened, she was hardly concerned with that. She had already been through worse and lived, and this perceived threat meant very little to her. Should someone try to take her life, she was confident her powers would protect her just as well as any sword. When the time came, she knew she would be ready.


	4. Chapter 3 - Nightmares Abound

**CHAPTER 3**

 _Nightmares Abound_

Snarling and growling. That's all she could hear as she ran aimlessly through the dense forest, branches of pine and spruce whipping her in the face as she weaved her way through the dark. She had been running for what felt like ages, her lungs burned and her breathing was ragged as she struggled to inhale. The things nipping at her heels looked and sounded like gray wolves, but deep down she knew they were something more sinister and vile. They were monsters.

In the distance ahead of her, she thought she heard more howls, but something seemed off. These were deeper and more ferocious than what was after her, and the ones chasing in her wake seemed to become invigorated by these new unearthly calls. In response, her legs seemed to grow painfully weary, and were screaming at her to stop and let them rest. Ignoring their pleas, she instead urged them to continue on.

Moments after this internal battle, her legs buckled and she fell forward. Before she could hit the ground, everything suddenly shrank beneath her, almost as if someone or something was ripping the earth out from underneath her. Then suddenly, just as quickly as it was pulled away, the ground came rushing back. Or rather, the top of a castle.

 _Not just any castle,_ she thought frantically. _It's Arendelle!_

As it came rushing towards her, the roof of the building began to shift and slide apart like a pile of building blocks. The closer she got, each floor would slither and deconstruct in similar fashion, allowing her to pass through. Finally, she hit something solid and cold, and for just a split second her vision blurred and her head throbbed.

Slowly, she managed to lift herself back onto her feet. When her vision returned, and her head hurt slightly less, she looked about her and gasped. Somehow, she had come to fall into the castle's ballroom. What's more, there were people there, standing all around and staring at her expectantly. This caused a shiver to run down her spine, and for the first time in a long time she actually felt cold. Her skin was covered in goose bumps, and she wrapped her arms around herself in an effort to conceal her discomfort.

"Elsa! You're finally here!" a voice squeaked, breaking the strange silence.

Turning her head towards the source of the sound, her eyes widened and her mouth hung open. She was shocked and dumbfounded by the chipper redhead standing before her. It was like she was staring at a ghost, something that couldn't be real.

"Anna? Is it really you? I-I don't understand," Elsa said shakily.

Smiling broadly, Anna giggled a little at her sister's odd response. "Of course it's me. Who did you expect it was?"

"I don't know," Elsa said with a shake of her head. Her eyes drooped sadly, and she started to feel worried. "But you were the last person I expected to be here. I mean, after what happened..."

Raising an eyebrow, Anna was giving her sister an inquisitive stare. "What do you mean? Oh, it doesn't matter. You're here now and the ball can finally get started! We were all waiting for you!"

"Wait, Anna, we have to talk," Elsa pleaded, but was nearly drowned out by the din of voices and music that had suddenly decided to pick up.

Shaking her head, Anna was becoming giddy and restless. "No, we have to dance! Elsa, come on! There are plenty of people here that would love to dance with the new queen!"

"New queen? What are you talking about?" Elsa asked confused. Blinking in disbelief, she stared at her sister as if not sure what to expect next.

"Yes, the new queen, silly! Have you forgotten that it's your coronation? Everyone is waiting for your appearance," Anna replied excitedly as she pulled Elsa by the hand through the crowd.

It was a difficult task, bobbing and weaving through the lords and ladies that crowded the floor of the ballroom. Swaying back and forth in rhythm to the music, not a single soul paid the sisters any attention. Anna seemed to have no problem in cutting a path through the dancers, and was lucky enough to avoid getting hit at all.

Elsa, however, wasn't so lucky. There were several occasions where she was caught between dancers and nearly crushed, and bumped into quite a few people and threw apologies over her shoulder as she was dragged along. By the time they emerged on the other side, her blonde hair was a frazzled mess. But how there were no pine needles or twigs stuck inside her braid or bangs, she had no idea. In fact, she felt completely refreshed, almost as if her running from those nightmares had never happened at all.

"That was a lot of fun," Anna announced once they had gathered themselves.

"Speak for yourself," Elsa retorted as she did her best to straighten her hair. "I was nearly crushed to death a dozen times."

Waving her off, Anna grinned at her sister, jumping up and down and clapping her hands gleefully. "Elsa, this has been the most fun we've had in years. I don't know what I ever did to upset you and cause you to lock yourself away, but I'm so, so sorry. Please forgive me."

"No, Anna, you have nothing to be sorry for," Elsa said, shaking her head, hands raised to try and extinguish her sister's onslaught of guilt. "It was never your fault, and you certainly never did anything wrong. I locked myself away because Mother and Father thought it was best, and I agreed with them. But we were wrong. Horribly, horribly wrong."

Anna gave her a quizzical look and folded her arms. "Wait, what are you talking about? Why would any of you think it was a good idea to lock you away? Did you do something awful to deserve it?"

"Yes. I hurt you," Elsa replied, her eyes starting to tear up.

"Hurt me? Hurt me how? That doesn't make sense," the redhead inquired cautiously.

Sighing, Elsa looked down at the floor and once again wrapped her arms around herself. "I don't think you want to know."

"Yes, yes I do! Please, Elsa, tell me! You've barely spoken to me in thirteen years, don't start doing that again," Anna pleaded.

Growing sadder, Elsa tried to turn away until Anna grabbed her arm and stopped her. Looking up at her sister, she tried to blink back more tears. "Anna, please don't make me..."

"Elsa, tell me. Please. I have a right to know," Anna tried to say a bit more calmly.

Her eyes shifted to the large crowd still dancing away the night, and sighed again. Eventually, Elsa turned her gaze back to her pleading sister, and resigned herself to the one thing she feared most. "Okay, I'll tell you. But you have to promise that you won't hate me."

"Elsa, how can I possibly hate you? Even after everything, I still love you. Hating you is impossible," Anna assured her.

Taking a deep breath, Elsa closed her eyes momentarily while she tried to draw up the courage to finally tell her sister the truth. "When we were little, I accidentally hit you in the head. You see, I sort of have these...powers. I can control ice and snow with a simple thought and wave of a hand. Well, one night we were playing here in the ballroom, and I had covered the floor with a layer of snow so we could have snowball fights and slip and slide around. Then you decided to start jumping from one pile of snow to the next."

"I did my best to keep you from falling, making a new pile every time you jumped. You kept going higher and higher until, finally, I couldn't keep up. Once you got too high, I tried to make another pile for you to land on, but I missed. Instead, I ended up hitting you in the head with a ball of energy, freezing your brain and causing you to pass out. It's how you got that white streak in your hair."

Anna reached a hand up to her head, feeling the spot that her frosty streak sprouted from. She had hung onto every word so far, and was just about to ask Elsa what had happened next when she started talking again.

"I ran over to you, and you were unconscious and cold to the touch," Elsa said, her voice wavering. "I panicked, and cried out for Mother and Father to help. One of the servants must have heard me and ran to fetch them, because they came rushing in just a few minutes later. Seeing me in distress, mother also started to panic, and father scooped you up into his arms and ran to the library. There was this book, it was really old and worn looking, and inside there was this folded up paper that he said was a map."

Tears had finally begun to drip down her cheeks, and she shuddered slightly. Wiping them away with the back of her hand, she tried to continue her story. "Father rushed us down to the stables, and we took off into the forest. I had no idea where we were going, but I knew it was wherever that map was taking us. I don't remember how long it took, but we eventually came to a small clearing. When we stopped, Father leapt down from his horse with you in his arms and called out to someone. Moments later, these giant rocks came rolling out of the woods, and suddenly changed into little stony people. They were trolls, and one of them was presumably the leader."

"Father looked down at the troll and told him what had happened. A moment later, he held a hand to your head and started pulling the ice out with some sort of magic. Then he said he was going to alter all of your memories, making it so that you no longer knew about my powers," she said with a disappointed tone in her voice. "He then turned to me and warned me to learn to control my powers, or fear would be my enemy. This, of course, scared me greatly, even more than what I had done to you."

"That was when Mother and Father decided it was best if I stayed away from you for awhile, and I thought they were right. I started to lock myself away from everyone and everything. I began wearing gloves all the time to help mask my powers," she admitted, "but even that barely helped. Father came up with a mantra for me to recite. "Conceal it. Don't Feel it. Don't let it show." I was so desperate to find a way to control it that I was willing to do anything to prevent what happened to you from ever happening again. But it constantly got out of hand, to the point that isolation was the only way to keep everyone safe."

"I grew to hate myself, Anna. As the years wore on, I began to break down more and more. Every time you knocked on my bedroom door, it pained me to turn you away or just ignore you. I thought it was for your own good, but all I was doing was hurting you and myself in the long run. Even when it was time for mother and father's funeral," she said as she blinked back more tears, "I couldn't draw up the courage to face the world, or you, after being hidden away for so long. I felt like I was a disgrace, and no matter what I would do I would just cause harm and misery to those around me."

"I think the rest you know," she finally said with a heavy sigh. "Everything leading up to this moment has been a tragedy that I could have easily prevented if I had learned the one thing that could control my powers from the very start."

Anna's mouth hung wide open. She had never expected any of this from her sister, nor did she know how to respond to something so depressing. However, she did know one thing for sure. The one thing her sister had cemented in place for her.

"Elsa...I don't know what to say," Anna said with sorrow in her eyes. "All these years and I had no idea what was going on. I mean, this was all entirely your fault and could have been avoided if mother and father had just done what needed to be done at the very beginning."

Her sister's response shocked her, shaking her to her very core. It was not what she had expected to hear at all. "I don't understand. What are you saying? I thought you said you wouldn't hate me."

Shrugging, Anna didn't seem fazed at all by any of this. "That was before I found out what kind of monster you really are. Witchcraft is a sin, Elsa. A major one. Being born with such unholy powers just makes it that much worse. Mother and Father should have ended you in the cradle."

Shrinking back from her sister, Elsa couldn't believe what she was hearing. "No. This can't be happening. The Anna I know never would have said such horrible things! Why are you doing this to me? Who are you!? What have you done with my sister!?"

That was when she noticed the deafening silence. Slowly turning her head, Elsa gasped as she looked out over the dance floor. The music had stopped playing, and everyone was staring straight at her. Many of the faces seemed to be filled with anger and disgust, and a quiet murmur began to wash over the sea of dignitaries and wealthy merchants.

She backed up against the wall, her breath coming in rapid, short bursts. Her eyes darted back and forth from the crowd to her sister, and back again. Not knowing what was going to happen next, her chest started to constrict and a terrible sickness took residence in her stomach. Elsa was beyond terrified.

Finally, Anna broke the silence. "Do you know what they do to witches, Elsa? They hang them, or burn them alive. Now, I don't want to do this to my own flesh and blood, but it's the right thing to do. We cannot afford to have such a smear on our good name. Guards, apprehend this thing and hang it!"

There was movement from the other side of the ballroom that caught her attention, and Elsa panicked. She started scanning the room for a way out, and found one just a little ways down the side of the room. Looking back, Anna and the others were slowly approaching her. She felt like a cornered animal, and the only thing she could do was either fight or run. Choosing the latter, she darted to the side of the room and ran as fast as she could to the door she had seen just moments earlier. The crowd of people gave chase as she threw open the door and disappeared.

The hallways twisted and turned, many of which she didn't recognize. Doing what was architecturally impossible, they and curved downward into the depths of the earth. Defying gravity, Elsa ran as if this was perfectly normal. The halls would eventually bend and snake back up to the surface, returning to their original state. Looking back over her shoulder, she was confused to see that the hall was straight, and that she hadn't made hardly any progress from the door she had entered.

With a few more changes in direction, and a couple of doors slammed open, Elsa found herself near the inlet just to the northwest of the castle. Walking towards the water's edge, she looked down and saw how pitch black it had become. It rippled only slightly from the current washing in from the fjord, lapping and splashing against the rocks below.

Then she remembered the people that were chasing her. Looking back towards the castle, she saw the others marching down the path that led to the quay on this side of the grounds. Her sister was at the forefront of the angry mob, and she was some horrific beast once again backed into a corner. She then returned her attention to the water in front of her, and had an idea.

 _Come on,_ she told herself. _I've done this once before. This time shouldn't be any different._

Her sister held a torch above her head and yelled, "Burn the witch! Burn her! Then hang her from the palace gates and feed her to the crows!"

With a deep breath, Elsa pulled up the front of her dress enough to prevent it from getting wet, and took a step off the pier. Expecting to hit a layer of ice, she was momentarily shocked as she plunged deep into the dark waters. Scrambling to get back to the surface, she flailed about in an effort to get herself oriented properly. Her eyes stung from the salt in the water, but she kept them open, afraid of being unable to see the torchlight above her.

After several moments of struggling, Elsa was finally able to breach the surface. Her hair clung to her head and face, her eyes burned, and she was gasping for air, but she was alive. At least, for the moment. The crowd was shouting profanities at her, and Anna stood there glaring down at her, a sneer spread across her face.

"Elsa, I don't know where you think you're going to go," Anna chastised. "You can't possibly find anywhere to hide. You'll just end up hurting everyone around you like you did to me. Don't you think once is enough? I _died_ because of you!"

That was when Elsa noticed the blood. Anna's hands and wrists were covered in it, a dark crimson contrasting against her pale skin. It gushed like water from a hand pump, so much so that it made her queasy just to watch it. By all rights, she should have been dead.

"This was all your doing, Elsa! All of it! Every second of torment and misery has been because of you! Now," Anna spat viciously, "now it is time for you to pay the toll. It is time for your judgment day!"

The crowd began to throw sharp objects at her as she did her best to tread water, but most had very poor aim. Still, a few bottles and rocks hit her, and she let out a yelp with every one that made contact. Elsa tried to call out once more for her sister, but it was no use. Everything she said was drowned out by the mob's shouts and cries for her hanging. Turning her head back to the far shore, she decided it was her best bet.

The harder she swam, the further away the shore seemed to be. By the time she was almost half-way across the inlet, the shouts had faded and the water was blacker than before. Resting for a moment, she didn't realize just how tired she had become. Her lungs were on fire, and her body ached everywhere. Then she felt something slither passed her feet, startling her.

Panicking, Elsa forced herself to swim on, afraid of what might be lurking beneath the surface. The moonlight reflected brightly off the water, and for a moment she thought she saw something quickly rise up out of the water and then back beneath the surface. Reasoning that her eyes were playing tricks on her, she decided to ignore it and kept swimming as fast as her frail and slender legs would allow.

There was a sudden, brief moment where the water seemed eerily still, like in a painting. Elsa tried hard to look around her, but she found it difficult to do that and swim towards the shore at the same time. Instead, she chose to take another quick break as her body felt like it was about to give out. Then, as quickly as it stopped, the water sprang to life with a storm-like ferocity.

It began with small waves, which quickly became much larger. The water started to churn beneath her, and that was when she realized that the waves were moving away from her. She was at the center. Frantically, she began swimming, a new fear fueling her desire to reach the shore. There was no way for her to know what was happening, but she knew she had to escape.

With a rumble like that of rolling thunder, massive tendrils like coiled snakes slithered their way out from the water, reaching high into the air. The water bubbled as if it were boiling, and one by one the tentacles came crashing down on the surface around her. Terrified, eyes bulging, she hadn't been able to move since the whole thing began.

Another rumble, this time even deeper in pitch, sent ripples out across the water that nearly dragged Elsa under. As the skies blackened, thunder and lightning began to fill the air, with a torrent of rain pouring down.

As another flash raced across the sky, something enormous began to emerge from the choppy surface below. At first, Elsa couldn't tell what it was, but she knew that it was what was at the heart of the storm. It drew itself further out of the frothy water, and all she could see was a gigantic yellow eye staring back at her. The tentacles surrounded the thing, but it was too dark to tell what the creature truly was. From what she could tell, the thing was just a giant mass of serpentine tendrils, not unlike an octopus. The only difference was that this beast was cyclopean in nature.

Elsa stared at the thing, dumbfounded. For some reason, she couldn't comprehend the incredible size of the creature, or how it had lived in the fjord for so long without anyone noticing. Then she realized the more pressing matter was how she was going to survive. She chanced another glance towards the shore and nearly fainted, as she was no closer than when she had started this insane quest.

She was brought back to attention as something wound its way up her legs and around her waist. Struggling to escape, the thing just tightened its grip on her, until she was forced to succumb. In an instant, Elsa was dragged beneath the surface and down into the murky, freezing depths of the fjord. Hitting the bottom, she was dazed when her head struck a rock, only to be suddenly ripped back through the water and hung upside-down high above the water.

Sputtering and coughing up water, she hanged there gasping for air. After several seconds, her vision and head cleared, and she saw that she was being drawn towards what looked like a giant beak. Then, she stopped. She was only a hand-breadth away from the creature, and she was so frightened that she could hear her heartbeat pulsating through her temples.

Moments passed, but it felt like an eternity. Elsa was breathing rapidly, and she thought she was crying because her vision blurred again. Blinking several times seemed to clear things up, just in time to see the creature open and close it's beak several times.

Suddenly, the thing let out a deafening roar, loud enough to drown out the rumbling skies above. It was much higher pitched out of the water than when it was still lurking in the depths. It was shrill and ear-piercing, and it left Elsa's ears ringing loudly. Then, without warning, the beast swung her forward and and threw her into it's terrifying maw. Before she could do anything to protect herself, the horrible beak came crashing down.

* * *

Elsa shot up straight in her bed with a bewildered look on her face, gasping for air. She was sweating profusely, almost as if she had suffered a horrible fever. Heart racing, eyes dilated and rapidly scanning the near pitch black room, it took all she had to calm her nerves and slow her breathing. After a couple of minutes passed, she had finally managed to bring herself back to normal.

Sighing, she gripped the amber stone that hung around her neck with a trembling hand. It wasn't the first time she had used the thing since receiving it, but this dream was different. It seemed to be laced with all her fears, and the fact that Anna was there was confusing. She hadn't been able to summon her sister's image since the funeral, but now she appeared without Elsa's control. In fact, the whole dream was beyond her ability to shape it as she saw fit.

 _So why Anna,_ she asked herself, _and why now? I haven't seen her for well over a month, and this is when she decides to show up?_

Removing the stone necklace from around her neck, she carefully placed it inside a box sitting on her nightstand. She wanted to spend some time thinking about what the dream meant, and ask Jorik in the morning what his thoughts were about it. If anyone was able to help her decipher the meaning behind her dream, it was him. He was very well-read, and was highly educated for a soldier, but Elsa respected and admired that about him. In fact, all her friends were rather smart, even the drunk Aldrik. She supposed that was partly why she got along with them so well.

Suddenly, she felt a chill crawl up her spine, and she shivered and began to feel really cold. This was a strange sensation for Elsa, as she wasn't typically affected by the cold like others were. She could tell when the temperature dropped, but she didn't suffer from frostbite or other effects from freezing conditions. It was something she always correlated to being a side-effect of her powers. It was just another oddity of what she considered a curse.

Crossing her arms, Elsa began to do her best to warm herself back up. That was when she noticed the bedroom door was cracked open just enough to allow in a sliver of light from the lanterns that lined the hall outside. She couldn't remember leaving it open like that, and so uncovered herself and began to stand up. The creak of a floorboard from the darkest corner of her room caught her attention as she made for the door.

Whipping her head around, she just barely caught sight of a mass of shadow rushing towards her. Before she could move to defend herself, something stiff and rigid slammed into the side of her head, knocking her off her feet and into the wall behind her. As she rolled onto her back, she saw flashes of lights for just a brief moment, but then saw something glint in the light given off from the gap in the door. To her it looked like a knife, but she barely got a glance before it was once again engulfed in darkness.

Elsa scooted back as much as she could against the wall, fear running its course through her veins. Her heartbeat pulsated in her ears, mixed with a thrumming from when her head was struck. Trying to make herself as small as possible, she raised her arms up in front of her in defense against her unknown attacker.

"It is time for you to die, witch," a voice called out from the darkness.

With a yell and a grunt, the shadowy mass lunged itself at her, landing on top of her and bringing its blade down to her. Elsa struggled with every ounce of strength she had, gripping her assailant's arms and making every attempt to force him off of her. When she felt the cold of steel slowly bear down at her throat, she realized that she was going to die. The tip of the blade began to pierce her skin, drawing a small trickle of blood as it tried to dig itself deeper.

Now that her eyes had managed to fully adjust to the dark, she noticed that the light had gotten brighter, and the moon's rays barely filtered through the curtained window. In the dim light, she could just make out her attacker, though any remarkable details were still cloaked in shadow. But she could still see where he was, and that he wasn't a large or muscular man by any means.

In a desperate attempt to get him away from her, Elsa managed to bring her legs up underneath him and pushed him off. It was more force than she expected, and the man stumbled backwards and crashed into her wardrobe. Quickly, she picked herself up off the floor and tried to run for the door.

The man recovered quickly enough, and grabbed her by her braid as she went by, causing her to wrench backwards and then slump down to her knees with a yelp. Kneeling down beside her, he placed his knife to her throat and growled.

"Stupid wench," he spat. "Try anything else like that and I'll make sure you suffer."

"Why are you doing this!? What have I done!? Please, just let me go!" Elsa cried, trying to grip at his hands to free herself.

The man lowered himself and spoke coarsely into her ear. "Heathen scum, your time has come. It is unfortunate that I won't be able to purify this place once I remove your blasphemous form from it, though I may be able to return to finish the task another time. But your presence here has befouled the very foundations of the city."

"Now then," he continued, "normally you would hang from a tree or gallows, but neither are readily available. So, spilling your vile blood is the next best thing. See, after we exterminate you like the vermin you are, we would normally salt and burn this place to the ground. However, there are people here that can still be saved, so that isn't an option. This really has turned into one the most complicated jobs I've ever had."

Yanking on her braid again, Elsa let out a pained cry as she started to panic even more. Frantically considering her options, she reached up to slap him in the face and made contact, a blue flash sending him sideways. His head hit the bedpost, making a sickening cracking sound.

Once again backing up towards the wall, Elsa's eyes widened as her attacker groaned but didn't move. He laid still for several moments, just long enough for her to come to her senses and rush for the door. Throwing it open with a slam, she started to make her way down the hall towards the stairs that led to the entryway of the inn. The carpeting was old and filthy, and small puffs of dust erupted into the air as she ran as hard as she could.

She was almost half-way down the hall when Elsa heard a growl from behind her along with heavy footsteps. Chancing a quick glance behind her, she saw that the her would-be killer was hot on her heels, almost within arm's reach. Passing by a table with a vase, she quickly grabbed it and pulled it over, making an effort to stop the man or slow him down. Instead, he leapt over it but suddenly stopped. She just kept running, not looking back to find out why. Taking a few more steps, she heard a whirring sound when she suddenly fell face first into the floor as something wrapped itself around her feet.

Everything was black. Her ears were ringing again, and sound was distant and muffled. She tried to lift herself back up, but instead her arms gave way and she slumped back down the floor. When her vision returned, she saw a pair of black leather boots and worn, dirty brown trousers beside her. Craning her neck to look up, she saw him just standing over her grinning. Then she saw his head whip around towards the stairs, heard what she thought to be shouting, and watched as the man pulled out a pistol and fired.

Within a blink of an eye, he fell against the wall and slid down to the floor. For awhile, he laid motionless, and Elsa dropped her head back to the floor, exhausted from the whole encounter. She felt the floor vibrate beneath her as she heard more shouting and footsteps rushing towards her. Deciding to try and look up once more, she was surprised to see Liam standing over her. He was ordering the others to do something, but her hearing was still bad enough that it drowned out whatever he was saying. She saw that he had his pistol in his hand, and wondered if he was the one that put the man down.

Eventually her feet were freed, and she was picked up and carried by someone she didn't know. They returned her to her room, where she saw the other guard that was supposed to be posted nearby lying in a pool of blood in the corner just outside her door. Once they entered, she noticed that the lamp on her nightstand was already lit, and she saw the doors on her wardrobe were splintered and destroyed. She almost forgot about the man carrying her as she was laid down on her bed. She greeted the comfort of her pillows as if they were old friends.

Liam had entered right behind her, and was at her side as soon as she had hit the sheets. He didn't look happy at all, and he leaned in closer so he was fully in her view. Looking over his shoulder, he dismissed the others and told them to take care of the bodies before returning his attention to her.

"Your Grace, please tell me what happened," he pleaded.

With her hearing returning, and her head hurting less, Elsa turned her head just enough to look him in the eyes. "I had come to bed early because I had a headache, and I tried using the stone again. The dream I had, by the way, was not a fun one. Anyway, after I woke up I decided to head back down to the dinning room for a drink of water. That's when I had that strange feeling of being watched."

"Then suddenly there was this sound, like the floor creaking, and it was in the room with me. I started to panic and make for the door, when he jumped on me," she recalled, her voice beginning to crack. "We struggled for a moment until I was able to get him off me, and I made another attempt to escape, but he grabbed me by the hair and started to talk about how I was going to die, and he was going to burn the inn to the ground, and something about me being a witch and an abomination. Most of it was crazy to listen to."

"That's when I decided to try and hit him, and I slapped him with a little bit of magic," she said, sounding rather proud of herself. "I think I froze part of his face because after he hit the bedpost he didn't move. So I took the opportunity to run, but he somehow managed to get back up and chased me down the hall. That's when I felt these ropes wrap around my ankles-"

"They're called bolas," Liam interrupted. "They're typically used by tribesman, but some hunters have been known to use them on faster and more dangerous game. It's an interesting device. It has three weighted balls at the ends of either short ropes or chains, and you swing it around to build momentum before you throw it at your target's legs or feet."

This caused Elsa to smile slightly. "Of course you'd have to explain it to me. You almost sounded like Jorik for a moment there."

"I suppose I did," he replied with a chuckle. "Anyway, please continue."

"Right. So," she said with a sigh, "I fell and hit my head, and shortly after that is when he exchanged fire with you. Obviously you know how that ended."

Leaning back for a moment, Liam crossed his arms and looked like he was deep in thought. It was quiet for what felt like several minutes, with the only sound being the ticking of the clock on the opposite wall. She saw that it was only a little after seven, which meant everyone was downstairs in the dinning hall when the attack began. It must have been a mere coincidence that they heard the commotion in the hall.

Finally, Liam decided to speak again. "I don't understand how he was able to get in. Was he someone you recognized?"

Elsa shook her head. "No, I've never seen him before. Why, what are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking that he somehow either managed to sneak by every guard I had posted, or he infiltrated our ranks. There's just no other way he could have gotten in. Unless," he said, looking right at her and raising an eyebrow, "he used some kind of magic."

"After everything he said to me," she replied with a scoff, "I highly doubt it. He was dead set on killing me because of my magic. I think he was one of those religious fanatics."

"Or he was just crazy," he said with a hint of sarcasm. "Either way, we don't know if he was working alone or had friends. Now this means we're going to have to interview everyone just to find out who's actually loyal and who is potentially a threat."

Just then there was knock at the door, and he ordered them to enter. It was one of the men that came to Elsa's aid, and he was carrying something in his hand. After saluting, he handed whatever it was over to Liam and quickly left the room.

Liam grew quiet for a moment. "Well, I think you may be right after all about him being a zealot. Here, look at this."

He handed her a small ring, one made of a light metal. It held next to no weight in her hand, but she was more interested in the image engraved on the top. It was that of a fist centered within a stylized sunburst. It was rather unique to her, but she knew that she had never seen it before.

"I don't understand," she finally said. "What does this mean exactly? It looks like it could belong to a secret organization of some sort."

"It does seem that way, doesn't it? But the way you described him and what he said, I'd wager this has more to do with some religious cult," Liam replied, folding his arms.

Shaking her head in disbelief, Elsa forced herself to sit upright on the bed. "But what could they possibly want with me? Why am I being targeted by these people? Why do they want me dead?"

Liam shrugged at her questions. "I don't know, Your Grace. Clearly they are radical extremists, otherwise they wouldn't have attempted something like this. For now, I think it's best if you keep your public appearances and trips into town to a minimum. At least until we can ferret out anymore remaining members of this group, if there are any."

Nodding her agreement, Elsa laid back down and stared up at the rafters above. Her thoughts were consumed by what the man had said to her, and connected it with what happened in her dream. Was she really a monster after all? Was she something so vile and unnatural that even God himself demanded her demise? The last thing to pass through her mind as she began to close her eyes, giving way to exhaustion, was what Anna truly believed her to be.


	5. Chapter 4 - Circus of Fools

**CHAPTER 4**

 _Circus of Fools_

Natan squinted and blinked several times as he entered the large double oak doors, still attempting to shield his eyes from the mid-morning sun. Stepping through the threshold into the grand foyer, his vision blackened for a brief moment before returning. When he could finally see again, he dug out his pocket watch and noticed that he was still a bit early.

Several others jostled in around him as he stepped into the main hall, and he shot them an annoyed frown before turning his attention back to the bustling lobby. There were officials gathered in small clusters here and there discussing foreign policies and the latest news on the invasion as always, merchants waiting in line to purchase permits in order to conduct business within the city, and desk clerks running about performing various tasks in order to keep the place in working order. To the average person, it likely seemed a jumbled mess with no sense of direction or purpose. However, underneath the surface things were quite a bit more organized and streamlined. Considering just how big Branisberg was and how many of the surrounding villages and towns fell under the rule of the council, it took all manner of people to keep things running smoothly.

What's more, things had kept running as they always have, even with the war going on outside the walls. It was a miracle that the city had been spared from the chaos and destruction that was the fate of many others. The only sign of the hell beyond the gates were the refugees that had begun to occupy the city, though there were admittedly very few in comparison to how many had been driven from their homes. Still, things had caused a lot of stress for the council, especially the arrival of Queen Elsa.

Many were relieved that she had managed to escape the capitol alive, and most in the city welcomed her with open arms. There was a celebration in her honor, with festivities and feasting all around. In fact, there was even a parade that marched through the streets flying the Arendelle colors and crest. Of course, being as reserved and shy as she was, she declined the offer to take part. This disappointed quite a few of the attendees, but it was just how she was.

However, not all were pleased with her arrival. There were many on the council that had argued for years that the city should have defected from the rule of the crown ages ago. The detractors felt that Elsa's rule was misguided and ill-suited for the prosperity and survival of the kingdom. Most also feared her and her powers, calling her a witch, sorceress, heathen, and other vulgarities. They were not at all pleased with her presence, and wanted her gone as soon as possible.

This was what brought Natan to city hall this morning. The council had deemed it necessary to hold an assembly to discuss the matter in detail. Though he was wary of many of the others that would be in attendance, he was sure that things would go in Elsa's favor. He had spent the last couple days consulting his closest friends and acquaintances about the coming vote, and was relieved when he found unanimous support from them. They were going to need every vote they could get to win.

Returning his watch to its pocket, he scanned the room for others that would be at the meeting. Having been so early, he wasn't sure that any of them would have arrived yet. Luckily, he noticed one of the men that was a supporter of the queen, and quickly approached them.

"Amaldus, my friend! It is a pleasure to see you," Natan greeted warmly with a big smile.

His friend was an older gentlemen, much like himself, and was dressed in black trousers with a white undershirt and navy blue overcoat. His black leather dress shoes were shined to a fine polish, and he wore a top hat slightly tilted to one side. On the bridge of his bulbous nose was a pair of reading glasses, and his eyes green like emeralds. He had well-trimmed mutton chops that gave him an almost sagely and sophisticated air, but his eyebrows were wide and bushy. He seemed almost grandfatherly, if a bit too formal.

The man was reading over a document he had unrolled on top of a small wooden table, but quickly looked up at the call of his name and grinned. "Natan, am I glad to see you. I got here a little too early, but it seems I'm not the only one."

Reaching to shake his friend's hand with a strong grip and a pat on the back, Natan gave a hearty chuckle. "It seems so indeed. Have you seen any of the others? I was hoping to speak with everyone before the meeting."

"No, you're the first one," his friend responded with a huff. "I, too, was hoping to have a chat with them prior to the assembly. I think it is important that we all know exactly how we're going to proceed."

"I don't think that will be a problem. The real issue is keeping everyone on the same page. We don't need any to be swayed from our stance," Natan replied sternly.

Letting out another sigh, Amaldus began to massage the back of his neck. "Yes, well, I think that truly is a problem. More than a third of the council opposes us, and the remaining members can swing either way. We are actually outnumbered right now. We're going to need to be very convincing if we are to sway the others to our side."

Natan was just about to respond when a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder, startling him. Turning to see who it was, he was quickly relieved to see a familiar face.

The man was tall and lanky, his face gaunt and wrinkled by age. His eyes were sunken in, which caused them to narrow slightly, giving him a scrutinizing gaze. A long, slender nose bent down in a hook at the end like the beak of a hawk was accompanied by thin, wispy lips that had a seemingly permanent dour expression. There was an inauspicious air about him, and he commanded an imposing presence.

This, however, didn't seem to affect Natan in any way. In fact, it was as if he was completely oblivious to it. The truth was that he simply respected the man because he was so direct and to the point. This was a rare trait among the council, where the others would say one thing and intend something else entirely. It was a game he didn't particularly care for, but it was one he had been bred to be familiar with.

Once the shock subsided, his face lit up as he gave the man a wide smile. "Sidenius, you dog, you scared me half to death! I thought that perhaps they had finally come to hall me off and lock me up."

"That is highly improbable, Natan. You are neither capable of committing a crime worthy of being jailed, and you have not yet lost what is left of your sanity," the venerable man replied humorlessly.

"You give me too little credit," he retorted. "How are you doing this morning? You seem as chipper as ever."

Sidenius cleared his throat a little before he decided to answer. "I'm doing as well as one can expect. I woke up earlier than I would have liked just in order to be here and partake in this charade."

"Charade? You don't care for this assembly then," Natan said with a chuckle. "I'm not surprised, to be honest. You have always disliked these meetings."

"I very much disagree with the whole thing, Natan, and you know it. There is no reason to expel Her Majesty from the city. Regardless of the current situation outside these walls, she is still our queen," Sidenius replied with disgust.

Placing his hands behind his back and looking at the floor, Natan frowned. "Too true, my dear friend. It is a shame that it has come to this. But we know how Aimar and the others feel about the matter. He himself has been outspoken against the queen since her coronation."

"He also has a large portion of the council in his pocket," Amaldus added. "Plus he can be quite persuasive. We're going to have to fight hard if we are to win over any that are undecided."

"Yes, well, he will be hard-pressed to win over those taking a neutral stance with his zealotry and treasonous views," Sidenius said in a disinterested tone. "I've heard quite a few remark on how ostensibly radical he appears to be."

Taking a quick glance at his pocket watch, Natan frowned slightly at the time. The assembly was fast approaching, and he wasn't looking forward to what was to come. He was an easy-going man, and prided himself on being far removed from the political mire that many nobles dwelt in. He truly believed that Elsa was the best thing to happen to the crown in several generations. Her presence in not just the city but on the throne greatly bolstered trade and morale from one side of the kingdom to the other. Under her, Arendelle flourished like it never had before. There was no visible downside to having her rule in his mind.

Just then he took notice of a group of men that entered the lobby, chatting loudly and making a ruckus. Then he saw who was at the head.

"Speak of the devil himself," Natan said in a low tone as he nodded towards the crowd.

With a glance at the group Amaldus chuckled, amused by the sight. "Oh, it would seem he brought his entourage of buffoons with him."

The man leading the group in was younger than the others by many years. With well-groomed golden-yellow hair and caramel eyes that shined with a hint of arrogance, he came off as self-righteous. The all-knowing smirk on his face could make one feel inferior and simple. His face seemed to have been sculpted by the gods themselves; rumor had it that women swooned in his very presence, and crowds parted way to let him through like Moses parted the sea. How much truth there was to this was debatable, though he was well-known for his charisma and charm. The only real oddity about him was that he wore an peculiar ring on the middle finger of his right hand.

The others following him were mostly older men, though a few were nearly as young as he was. They were rather lively in their chatter, chuckling and guffawing every time one of them made some witty remark. As they passed by, Aimar noticed Natan and changed direction, heading straight for him.

"Ah, Natan, how wonderful to see you," he said with a hint of condescension as he approached. "It has been some weeks since we last spoke. I pray that you are doing well?"

"I was," Natan said beneath his breath. "I've been doing just fine, Aimar, thank you for asking. You seem to be just as alive as the last time I saw you."

Letting out an unrestrained snicker, Aimar moved closer and clapped him roughly on the back. "Oh, you old codger! You are far too humorous for your own good. Of course I'm alive, and the Lord willing, I'll live to be as old and wise as you!"

This caused boisterous laughter to erupt from Aimar's companions at Natan's expense, causing his face to turn a cherry red with anger and embarrassment. This wasn't the first time they had had such an exchange, and every time the younger man insulted him one way or another. Normally, he wouldn't let it get under his skin, but today held the outcome of a very serious matter as far as he was concerned.

Sensing his friend's shift in mood, Sidenius frowned and shook his head. "While it is a marvel you have yet to be boxed between the ears, dear Aimar, one has to wonder why you feel the need to play the mother hen to these fine gentlemen in order to feel justified."

The men surrounding Aimar fell silent, and all eyes turned to him. Gritting his teeth, he shot Sidenius a look of warning. He was clearly not amused.

"Sidenius, you seem to be as grim and repugnant as ever," he replied coolly. "We shall see who is justified with today's vote."

With that, he turned and angrily stormed off towards the assembly hall, his consortium of fellows right behind him. Natan and the others stood there in silence watching them for a few moments before speaking.

"I hate that man so very, very much," Natan finally said. "I've never hated anyone in my entire life, but he has found a way to earn the privilege of being the one person I loathe."

Amaldus chuckled and pat his friend on the back. "Oh, forget him. Come, the meeting will be starting soon."

* * *

The assembly hall was as grand in size as it was in splendor. The architecture mimicked that of ages passed, both in beauty and elegance. Massive columns carved from marble spiraled and stretched high into the air, holding aloft a large windowed dome. Along the rim of the dome, as well as the tops and bottoms of the columns, were intricate bas-reliefs depicting ancient warriors with swords and spears ready for battle. One could spend hours taking it all in and admiring the details.

Along the walls were tall multi-paned windows that arched at the peak, letting in the light and warmth of the summer sun. The hall itself was semi-circular, with a dais towards the center and rows of wooden benches that stretched along the curvature of the room. At the front of the stage was a simple wooden lectern, and behind it a moderately sized table with several high-backed chairs. At the back stood two poles, one bearing the Norwegian national flag with the union mark, and the other the Arendelle colors and crocus.

The room was fairly crowded by now, and Natan guessed most of the members were present already. The head of the council, a portly fellow with dark hair named Konrad, stood at the podium pouring over some documents. He was elected to lead the meetings by the council itself, and could be voted out at any time should he fail to perform his duties. The man was highly respected by almost everyone, and even the few that didn't care for him agreed he was good at what he does.

Sitting at the table were four other individuals. On the far left was Lambert, a snowy-haired man with a pair of glasses nested on the bridge of his nose. Next to him was a rather large individual called Garman, a Swede that reportedly loved his drink and his women. Then there was a small, brown haired man with a bushy mustache named Harris. Finally there was Valdon, the only member that Natan knew well at all.

These four would scribe, organize, and file all the rulings that passed through the council, then present it to the mayor. It was a system that had work for decades, and the council saw no reason to change what wasn't broken. They would also often advise the rest of the assembly on current issues that needed to be addressed, such as that of the queen.

The Natan and his companions chose to sit closer to the end of the upper bench near the entrance so that they could watch the proceedings and other members. Even when all members of the council were present, there was still plenty of room to spare. The chamber was large enough to seat at least twice as many men as there were. This was done in the case of city and county expansion, which had proved to be a wise decision.

Most everyone was greeting one another as if they hadn't spoken in ages, and there was a quiet murmur throughout the hall. As the last of the stragglers finally made their way inside, the doors were shut and the din of chatter seemed to lessen. Nobody really seemed to pay any mind to the men on the stage in front, and they didn't seem ready to start either.

"They never come prepared it seems," Sidenius said with a sigh.

"No, I don't believe they have ever been ready to start on time," Natan said with a light chuckle.

Crossing his arms against his chest, Amaldus joined Sidenius with a sigh of his own. "They weren't elected because they were efficient, they were elected to remove them from the voting pool."

The man behind the lectern finally seemed ready to start the proceedings, and banged a gavel down several times. The knocking echoed through the chamber, and the myriad conversations instantly cut off. Everyone that was still standing quickly took a seat, and the silence was so thick one could hear a pin drop.

Looking out at the many faces in the room, Konrad straightened and smoothed out the papers he had lying in front of him. "Gentlemen, we gather this eighteenth of June to discuss several pressing matters that have been brought to the council's attention. Firstly, Lambert shall read out the minutes from the previous assembly."

The old man stood up from his chair, his hand shakily holding a long piece of parchment. As Lambert began to read from the document in what Natan considered a bored and droning tone, he began scanning the room for the members he knew for certain would vote in Elsa's favor. He rarely ever paid much attention to the minutes, mostly because he was likely present at the previous meeting and remembered the details. He didn't come across as such, but he had quite a good memory. It wasn't exact all the time, but he could remember minute things that others often didn't care to notice.

As the preamble finally ended, Konrad announced the first order of new business. It had to do with taxing the of the farriers that handled the city watch's horses. For the first time in a long time, the council was actually debating on lowering the taxes for the farriers rather than raising them. This no doubt had something to do with the influx of work orders from the resistance's occupation and merger.

After a quick vote, with the majority passing the new tax reduction, they moved on to another matter entirely. This had to do with the roads entering the city from the west and south, as they were in ill-need of repairs. The main issue was whether or not to spend the funds on the roads or to implement a toll at the gates to help cover the costs. The vote was much closer on this one, and in the end those against the bill won out.

Finally, they arrived at the heart of the assembly. Natan was both nervous and anxious about the outcome of this. In his view, should Elsa and the resistance be removed from the city, then the enemy would have no issues attacking and destroying Branisberg. It would be left defenseless.

"Now we must address the matter of Her Royal Highness and the occupation of the resistance within the city walls, as well as her continued reign as monarch over Branisberg and the county," Konrad announced. "This issue was momentarily discussed in the last meeting, but we ultimately decided to bring it to vote at a separate time. Now then, we will open the floor for debate. But please, for the sake of protocol and courtesy, refrain from outbursts and interruptions. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, and every voice that wishes to speak shall be heard. Lord Falk, you have the floor."

Natan winced at the name. He knew Falk well, and knew that he was a greedy man who only cared for himself. He also was very much against the idea of a woman ruling a kingdom, and that men should be the powers in charge. What's worse, he had quite a few supporters and allies who agreed.

"Thank you, Konrad," the man said with a sneer. "Fellow councilmen, the matter at hand should be both simple and obvious in solution. With Her Magnificence here in the city, she poses a threat to both the well-being of the citizens and herself. With the enemy reportedly searching for her, her presence here no doubt endangers everyone. She is out in the open, and people from all over are now aware of her very location. It is my personal belief that she is much better off hiding from the enemy far away from the people she is sworn to rule and protect. She has no place staying at a second rate inn as either a safe haven or base of operations for something so important as the only force currently present that can withstand an attack from the _Magi's_ soldiers."

"As for her sovereignty," he continued with more than a hint of disdain in his voice, "she is still far too young and inexperienced to rule a kingdom. The only reason the kingdom has begun to flourish at all is that people from all over have traveled to see the queen with magic powers. She is a tourist attraction, and this has made a mockery of the crown. Now, I can only speak for myself, but I do believe that she is unfit to sit on the throne."

Chatter broke out all over as the others began to discuss Falk's statements. While much was indecipherable, Natan could pick up snippets here and there.

"He's right, you know."

"She is far too young."

"This borders on the edge of treason."

Luckily, he didn't have to listen to it long, as Konrad was already at the gavel calling for order. "Thank you, Falk, for your insight on the matter. Next is Constable Richart of the city watch. You have the floor."

Richart was a longtime friend of Natan's, and shared many of the same views. While he upheld the laws that the council passed and the mayor signed into action, he wasn't harsh or adamant about it. He was the sort that believed everyone deserved a second chance, be they thieves, thugs, or ne'er-do-wells. The more extreme crimes, such as rape and murder, were inexcusable however. Even he couldn't look passed such actions.

"My friends and associates of the council, I thank you for listening to what may be a long-winded speech. I do not think that things are so easily glossed over. The royal family has always provided for us for as long as I can remember, and they have always done so graciously. When food had become scarce during the horrid drought of eighteen twenty-seven, King Agdar saw to it that everything from grains and wheat to beef and pork had been sent from the capitol to the outer reaches of the kingdom. Much of it had to be imported, costing the coffers of the merchants guild and the royal vaults quite a bit of speciedaler _._ That tradition has been passed down to their daughters, who have been as dedicated as their parents had been to the prosperity of the kingdom. Queen Elsa was thrust into a position before she was truly ready, and yet she has managed to surmount every obstacle placed in front of her with the grace one can only expect of the royal family. She has been kind, fair, and most of all effective as monarch of kingdom."

"As to her place here in the city," he said with a slight pause, "I believe she belongs here. Here she is safe. Here she has allies. To deprive her of that is inhuman, especially after all she has done for us in her short reign as queen. Since the merger of the city watch with the resistance, the city has been safer than it ever was. Crime is at an all-time low, and banditry on the roads leading out of the city has disappeared since the resistance has begun its patrols-"

"Patrols, mind you," shouted a man from the far side of the room, "that they performed without our consent!"

This made Richart smirk. "Yes, and we have been far safer for it! Think about it! We have a force of volunteers that have been able to achieve what the city watch has only dreamed of in a matter of months! That is beyond remarkable, and we all should be grateful that the resistance is here. You will recall the camp of slave traffickers that they found and proceeded to eradicate several months ago, just on the eastern side of Lake Sinnsro. Then just a little over a month later they found it to be occupied by refugees from the north. In both instances, we would have had no knowledge of these occurrences without their help. The city watch alone just cannot handle that kind of workload. Both Queen Elsa and the resistance have been a boon for Branisberg."

Once again the room erupted into discussion, this time quite a bit more audible than before. From what Natan could gather from his closest neighbors, many seemed to agree. He wasn't sure if these people were going to be as wishy-washy as they had been in the past with their votes, but he prayed they'd choose to side with the queen.

"Gentlemen! Please calm yourselves," Konrad shouted above the others just to be heard. Once everyone had quieted down considerably, he continued. "Thank you, Richart, for sharing that with us. I do believe that Sir Aimar is next. The floor is yours."

Rising from his seat, Aimar put on a big smile and bowed. Natan could see the arrogance radiating from him in waves.

"Thank you most kindly, Konrad. And you as well, fellow members of this council, for hearing me today on this most pressing of issues. How does one handle a matter so delicate yet so important as this? How do we approach it without biting the literal hand that feeds us? Well, unfortunately my friends, we don't. There is no easy way to handle this, but it must be dealt with."

"To most," he continued, "the queen is kind. Generous. Charitable. Intelligent. But most of all, powerful. To most, Her Royal Majesty is a godsend. But is she really? There can be no question of her qualities. She has proven to be kind and generous. She has been seen as quite charitable to the people of the kingdom, especially the children. She certainly is an intellectual, as she has maintained foreign policies and signed a few new favorable ones into action. And she certainly is powerful, as seen by her display just a few short months ago, as well as the storm she created last year at her coronation."

"And that's the rub, isn't it? She has powers beyond any normal mortal," he said with disgust, "and she has shown us what she can do. However, is this truly favorable? Do we want a monarch that is as capable of destroying everything as she is reigning over us? She's already attempted to destroy the capitol once, and we may very well see such a spectacle again. Such powers are not meant for mortal men. No, those powers should only belong to the Lord himself. So what does this say about her? Queen Elsa has already declared that the church's views and bylaws are archaic and unwanted. She has given clemency to the heathen pagans and their blasphemous beliefs. To this end, she is herself an abomination. An affront to Christ. Do we truly want such a monster ruling over our very lives?"

"As for the resistance," he continued, "they are nothing more than organized rabble, and they are barely that. They entered our city without our consent and took over everything. The city may be safer, but at what cost? Our people's privacy has been invaded, our streets are more congested than they have ever been with militant patrols everywhere, and there are reports that merchants are beginning to stop doing business here due to being accosted by resistance soldiers as possible threats. This is madness! There is no reason to keep these bullies around. I say they must go!"

This time the men were rather loud and boisterous, with arguments and discussions overtaking Konrad's attempts to call for order. Aimar stood there, a smirk on his face, watching the circus he created. Natan was positive he was pleased with himself. He usually was.

Finally, after much gavel-pounding and shouting, the membership calmed itself enough for Konrad to speak without going hoarse. "At long last, we have Natan who wishes to speak. Please, dear friend, take the floor."

Natan slowly stood and cleared his throat. He had been preparing for this for the last several days, and hoped that it would be enough to sway the undecided. Clearing his throat one last time, he looked out over the assembly and grinned.

"My esteemed colleagues and close friends," he began, "I thank you for taking the time to listen to an old man talk your ears off. As most of you are well aware, I am quite fond of the queen. Since she was a little girl, she showed promise as heir to the throne. This much was known throughout the kingdom. When her parents were taken by a storm at sea, she was only eighteen, and too young to rule. That was when the royal council stepped in and acted as regent until she was of age. For the most part, they continued with King Agdar's rulings, and very little changed. Then, after she turned twenty-one, Her Royal Majesty stepped up and took the crown as Queen of Arendelle."

Clearing his throat again, Natan gave Amaldus and Sidenius a quick sideways glance. "We all know about the incident that took place on the eve of her coronation. According to the stories, and her official apology to the kingdom, she had grown up in fear of her powers, something nobody but her parents knew about. Not even her late sister, bless her soul, was allowed to know. So when she fled from the castle, it was out of fear of herself and of hurting others. Why would she do such a thing if she wished harm upon her people? Because she cares deeply for the people of Arendelle. She isolated herself because she didn't want to accidentally hurt others until she had her magnificent powers under control. When she returned, she was locked away because she was considered a threat. Yet she ended the storm and returned the summer sun. She had learned to control her powers, and has since used them for the good of her people."

"Queen Elsa is a benevolent ruler and has proven her worth time and time again in her short reign. She reopened the gates of the castle, allowing for dignitaries and foreign rulers to come into the kingdom without prejudice. Trade has been much improved, and we have flourished like never before. Why would such a dangerous individual do these things if she wanted wanton destruction and death? Because she is not a danger and not this wicked creature that others have portrayed her as," he said with a slight pause, glowering quickly at Aimar. "I have met her personally, and she is every bit as lovely, sweet, and kind as the rumors proclaim. She truly is a blessing to us, and I think we'd be in a much worse position if she weren't our queen."

"This brings me to the matter of the resistance. I have very little to say on the subject, because Constable Richart already covered much of what I wished to say," he said with a wink towards his friend. "So, what to do with the resistance? Yes, they came into our home without being asked, but they did so to protect us from the invasion that much of the kingdom has witnessed. They are not this bully that people think. They patrol near my home all the time, and I thank them for it. They have chased off the troublemakers in a hurry, and there's no downside to that. The internal patrols have cleaned up the streets and made people feel safe. Plus, they still patrol the area outside the walls, keeping the villages and extended parts of Branisberg clear of bandits and thieves. To me, it's quite simple. There is no reason to remove them from our fair city."

Another quiet murmur permeated the room, and Natan was glad for that. He didn't want the controversial and riotous behavior that Aimar seemed so pleased with. This was the preferred reaction in his mind. _Let them discuss this,_ he thought, _and pray that they make the right choice._

Konrad stood at the lectern for a moment in silence before calling the others to quiet themselves. "My friends, I do believe that is the last of the candidates chosen to speak. I move that we set this to a vote. All members that wish to vote in favor of Her Royal Highness and the resistance, please raise your hands."

Slowly and quietly, the men on the bleachers raised their hands in support of Elsa and the resistance. But not enough in Natan's opinion. There were far too few, and he didn't know if those undecided were going to be swayed either way, which could deadlock the whole thing. Not a preferable outcome, but better than losing.

The men behind the table were huddled in deep discussion, likely taking down the numbers for the supporters. They weren't at it for long, and Valdon was scribbling something down on a piece of tattered parchment. Placing his quill back inside the inkwell, he nodded to Konrad to continue.

Konrad, too, wrote something down on one of the several documents he had laying on the lectern before him. Clearing his throat several times, he looked out at the stands and raised a hand. "Right. Now then, all members who oppose the continued stay of the queen and her forces, as well as seceding from the sovereignty of the crown, please raise your hands."

Natan cringed as soon as he saw the number of hands that shot up into the air. Far more than he had anticipated. Swallowing a lump that had found itself stuck at the back of his throat, he chanced a quick glance towards the one man he knew had the capacity to sway so many people.

Aimar.

The man was sitting there, a big grin on his face, and he was staring right at Natan. A shiver shot up his spine, and sweat had found its way onto his brow. It was his worst fear. There was no denying that they had lost.

It wasn't just a defeat, it was an embarrassment for the entire movement. What's worse, Natan felt he had let the queen down, and had failed at the one task he had sworn to succeed at. How was he to face Elsa now? How was he supposed to deliver the news that she was no longer allowed to reside within the city walls? How was he supposed to tell her that the very people she ruled and protected want her gone? He didn't have time to ponder that, as Konrad had raised his hand once more to make an announcement.

He waited until the chatter died, and he had their full attention. The look on his face said he wasn't very happy about what he was about to say. "Dear friends, the votes have been tallied. It is with a heavy heart that I must declare that the motion has passed by an astounding amount. Her Royal Majesty, Queen Elsa of Arendelle, is hereby denounced as sovereign over the city of Branisberg-"

Many of those who chose to side with the queen started shouting and arguing with Konrad, and even used several unkind words to prove their point. Then those that opposed her to begin with started in, and the shouting became quite uncontrolled. Even with the gavel beating a pronounced rhythm on the podium, there was little he could do to calm the other members.

Eventually the dissonance subsided, and Konrad could finally be heard over everyone. "Gentlemen! Please keep yourselves calm and collected! There is an order to things here, and we must follow procedure!"

"Now then," he said, far more calmly, "where was I? Oh yes. The matter of the resistance. It has been hereby determined that, by majority vote, Queen Elsa and her forces are to be expelled from the city forthwith."

The pit of his stomach soured, and Natan looked to his friends for confirmation that he was hallucinating. The looks on their faces told him that he, unfortunately, was not. The reality of the situation was slowly starting weigh heavily on him, and the more it crushed him the sicker he felt.

"This is a mistake," he finally said. "This is a terrible mistake. These men don't know what they have done."

Amaldus adjusted his glasses a bit more aggressively than was necessary and snorted. "These fools! I agree with Sidenius. This most certainly is a charade. A circus of fools allowed to run amok unrestrained."

"I have to go. I have to inform the queen immediately," Natan said hurriedly.

Grabbing his arm with a strong grip, Sidenius shot him a very stern sideways look and shook his head. "That is ill-advised, my friend. I would let the committee handle things from here. It is their job, and they wouldn't appreciate you imposing on their territory."

"Then what are we to do? We can't just sit here," Natan replied angrily.

Sidenius shook his head again. "Nothing. We are to do nothing. We have already done what we set out to do, and it didn't go in our favor. There is nothing more we can do now."

Slowly lowering himself back to his seat, Natan had a look of dread on his face as the blood drained away. Chills slowly worked their way through his body, and he was horribly nauseated. Leaning over, he placed his head in his hands and stared at the floor. What was he to do now?

* * *

It was sometime after dark, when the moon shone brightly from above the mountains in the north, that a dark figure slunk quietly into an unremarkable shack on the side of the highway leading west out of the city. Nothing but the chirp of crickets and the wind could be heard by anyone that might pass by. There was no sign anyone was even there.

Closing the door cautiously and ever so slowly, the figure turned to face their companion. "So, did the plan succeed?"

"No," the other said. "We were unable to turn the others. They were too enamored by that pious zealot to see reason."

"That is...disappointing to hear," the first chided. "She isn't going to like hearing about this."

Leaning against a large, dusty crate that was tucked away in the corner, the other figure sighed. "No, she isn't. But there is nothing we can do. The plan failed. What now, Rønnik?"

"What do you think? The only thing that can be done now," Rønnik said threateningly. "We tie up loose ends, Sidenius."

With a quick motion, Rønnik lunged forward and struck Sidenius in the chest. Quickly he fell to his knees and began to sputter, gasping deeply for air. Then he doubled over, clutching the hilt of the dagger in an effort to pull it free. His strength waned, and his grip loosened until his arm fell limp. Eyes scrambled to find a means to remove the blade, but he knew it was pointless.

Crouching down and resting on the balls of his feet, Rønnik lowered his voice to a whisper. "When you let her down, you are dealt with. Now go and meet your maker, and pray he is more forgiving."

He was still gasping for air and choking on bile when Rønnik slipped back out into the night.


	6. Chapter 5 - Exodus

**Author's Note: As you guys know, I typically don't do this. But I have a couple things that I need to say.**

 **1.) My schedule has become a little busier than it used to be for a couple reasons. I am having issues at work, and my home life has gotten a bit crazy. Thus, updates are going to be less frequent than I had first planned. Also, I have begun a new project, which brings us to...**

 **2.) I am going to be spreading my time between this and a new book I am currently working on. It is not a fanfic, but an original story. As I have said in my profile, my main influences are the great The Wheel of Time saga, and A Song of Ice and Fire. So my new book will be similar in style to that, and hopefully even better written than this. It is a work that I hope to have published eventually, and wanted to reach out to you guys to see what kind of interest there might be. I'll let you know more as I get farther into the writing process. There is a lot of prep work to do for something so massive, and it's going to be a learning experience for sure. Anyway, PM me for details if you are at all curious.**

 **Anyway, thanks for reading my story and hopefully I'll have the next chapter up in a couple weeks.**

 **CHAPTER 5**

 _Exodus_

As the carriage bounced and swayed over the old cobblestone road into town, Natan sat in bitter silence, concerned with what he had to do. He had no idea how he was going to tell Her Royal Majesty just what had happened the day before, and that they were going to come to order her out of the city. The very thought of even speaking of the whole thing soured his stomach, which hadn't quite yet recovered. He was still very much regretting the promise he had made to her. With a silent prayer, he hoped she would be understanding.

That was the biggest thing he was concerned with. How exactly was she going to take it? He had his doubts that she would be angry with him, or even disappointed. She had never expressed such qualities before, instead always very polite and reserved. It was likely that wasn't even in her nature to express herself in such a way. What little he didn't know of her from his time with her, he was certain that she was the understanding and forgiving type. Or at least he dearly hoped so.

The road seemed a bit bumpier at this part of town, which was in the western quadrant of the city. It was no wonder they had to address the issue of their condition the day before, as the roads were in disrepair. There were potholes where the ground had sank down from years of rain and use, and every time one of the wheels rolled into one the entire carriage was jarred, nearly knocking Natan out of his seat.

Soon The Blooming Saffron came into view, for which Natan was eternally thankful for. He couldn't tolerate being shaken like a rattle any longer. As they drew closer, he noticed there was another carriage parked on the street nearby and wondered who it might be for a fleeting moment, but paid it little further attention. He had too much on his mind to worry about some other noble that might be there, as long as they weren't holding audience with the queen.

Once the carriage came to a stop and the door was opened for him, Natan stepped out and greeted the guards that were posted outside the entrance of the inn. One of them was kind enough to open the door for him, which he thanked before stepping inside the cozy old inn.

Inside, as he took a quick look about, he noticed an older gentleman that was in a hushed discussion with whom Natan could only assume were some of the staff. After a few moments, he took notice of the councilman and greeted him warmly.

"I'm so sorry to keep you waiting, good sir," the man said with a bow. "Welcome to The Blooming Saffron. My name is Marcus, the owner of this fine establishment. How long do you wish to stay?"

"Oh, I'm not here to stay," Natan responded quickly. "I'm actually here to see Her Royal Majesty. I am Lord Natan of the city council. I believe she is expecting me."

"I'm afraid she's already in a meeting with another member of the council," Marcus replied with a bit of worry in his voice. "He arrived just a short bit ago with another official."

The news caught Natan off-guard, and he blinked several times while trying to think of who it could possibly be. "You said another councilman is here speaking with Her Majesty?"

"Aye, I did. I didn't like the look of him though. He seemed rather full of himself," Marcus confided in a whisper.

Natan's eyes widened as it dawned on him just who it might be. "No, it can't be...Please, take me to the queen. This is urgent."

With a nod and a bow, Marcus led him down a hallway and to a room just off to one side. The door was already open, and light chatter could be heard coming from inside. It almost sounded like arguing the closer they got, and as Natan stepped to enter the room he immediately froze in place.

Standing before him was Aimar, arrogant smirk and all, with a short, wiry fellow with dirty blonde hair that Natan sort of knew from city hall. He often delivered messages between officials and the mayor.

"-and it is the decision of the council that you and your forces are to withdraw from the city of Branisberg posthaste. You shall be given until the twenty-fifth of June to remove your forces from within the city limits and no later. Should you fail to do so, you shall be placed under arrest as dictated by the office of Mayor Granberg and tried in the court of law."

As the man read from the letter of declaration, Natan could see the look of consternation on Elsa's face, and a very disapproving look from the man behind the desk.

"Item number two. The council has deemed it necessary that the city of Branisberg shall withdraw from the sovereignty of the kingdom of Arendelle and become it's own state of rule henceforth. It is hereby declared that Queen Elsa of Arendelle shall no longer serve as regent for the city and its citizens. Any actions taken to prevent this secession will be understood as an act of war, and shall be treated as accordingly."

As the man finished reading, everyone stood there in silence for a brief moment. Aimar had a hand up to his face, trying his best to restrain himself from laughing. The others weren't quite as amused as he was.

Slowly, Elsa regained her composure and shot a quick glance at Natan before returning her gaze to the short man in front of her. "I understand. You may tell the city council and Mayor Granberg that we will oblige the ruling and withdraw immediately. We are very grateful for the council to provide us with so much time to do so. There will be no resistance from me or my forces, and we shall be gone by the twenty-fifth."

Before Natan could make his presence known, Aimar looked his way and grinned. "It is such a disappointment, Your Highness, that it has had to come to this. It is nothing personal, we just feel that you are unfit and ill-equipped to rule over so much territory. Now, I had nothing but wonderful things to say about you, but there are others on the council who are less than amicable towards you or the crown. There are many who fear you and your godforsaken sorcery. There are those that consider you an abomination."

Growing livid with every word, and turning a deep purple color, Natan nearly exploded when Aimar finished. Finally, he moved into the room and gave the man a deathly stare.

"You are the one who called her those horrible things, Aimar! You were the one that turned the entire council against her with your zealotry! You are a horrible man, and I hope that you get what's coming to you one day," Natan warned angrily.

"Natan, please-" Elsa began.

"Please, you old fool, you don't know what you're saying," Aimar interrupted. "Why would I say such things against our wonderful monarch? She has done nothing to deserve it."

Natan was visibly shaken, and looked as if he was ready to knock Aimar to the floor, but Elsa raised a hand and interrupted them.

"That is enough, both of you," she said, shooting both a warning glance that silenced them. "Now then, Aimar, I think it is time for you to go. I do not care to associate myself with liars and traitors. Return to the council and tell them that I shall acquiesce their request to remove myself from the city. Good day."

With that, she dismissed the man who looked less than satisfied now. As he and the messenger left without so much as a glance at Natan, Elsa turned to him and motioned for him to enter. Calming himself down, he did as he was ordered and slowly entered the room.

"Your Majesty," he began, "I am so sorry I was unable to warn you ahead of-"

"Natan, it's alright," Elsa interrupted quietly. "I was prepared for this, I just had hoped it would turn out differently."

With a sigh, Natan took a seat across from Elsa and her companion. "What are we to do now?"

"The only thing we can do," Elsa replied with a saddened smile. "We begin organizing the men and vacate the city as soon as possible. I have no desire to cause any commotion over this. Liam, how soon can we have the men begin the preparations?"

"I can have the word sent out immediately. The squad leaders should be able to inform their men within the hour," Liam informed her.

"Wait," Natan interjected. "What of the city watch? Without your forces, the crime will return to what it was like before, or even worse."

Leaning on his desk, Liam shook his head in frustration. "There isn't anything we can do about that now. Unless some of the men wish to stay and join the city watch, things will have to return to normal."

Flopping down in a chair behind the desk, Elsa let out an exhausted sigh. "I can't wait for this all to be over."

"Yes, well, the time will come for that," Liam reassured her. "However, there is one thing that must be discussed."

Raising a curious eyebrow, Elsa looked at him puzzled. "And what is that?"

"The ring on Aimar's finger," he replied. "It was oddly similar to the one that we found on your would-be assassin the other night."

"Wait," Natan interrupted, "would-be assassin? What are you talking about?"

"It's nothing, really. Someone had sneaked into my room and attacked me," Elsa said matter-of-factly. "He was wearing a strange ring."

Digging through a drawer in his desk, Liam procured the ring and tossed it to Natan.

Natan shook his head in surprise. "This is the same ring that Aimar wears. He's had it for as long as he's been on the council. Is he somehow connected to the man that attacked you?"

"That's what we'd like to know," Liam said. "It would appear that they are, but we don't know how."

"Well," Natan began, "Aimar is well known for being a pious and holier-than-thou fool in the council. Nearly everything he stands for borders on fanaticism."

"And that's exactly what the assassin was like as well," Elsa added. "The things he said were crazy. No normal man would have said what he had."

"I'll look into this for you then," Natan replied in earnest. "The moment I learn anything you'll know."

Elsa bowed her head slightly with a smile. "Thank you, Natan. I appreciate everything you've done for me. I just hope we can prevent these people from harming anyone else."

* * *

The deadline for their departure was fast approaching, and preparations were going a lot smoother than Elsa had anticipated. The men had already removed themselves from the city watch, and patrols around the perimeter of the city had ceased. Much of the supplies had been moved to a location beyond the city limits, and funds had been reallocated and stored away in lockboxes for safekeeping.

With patrols discontinued, the men were ordered to ignore any and all crime that occurred near the city, much to Elsa's chagrin. She didn't like the idea of letting these people suffer in any way, but had to acknowledge that this is what the council had wanted. She thought they were being petty and foolish, but there was little she could do. True, she wasn't worried about their demands as she knew full well that they wouldn't dare to actually attempt to arrest her, but she didn't want to seem a hypocrite or petty herself. So, instead of throwing a tantrum like many other rulers likely would, she did the honorable thing and did as she was asked. The city wished to separate itself from the kingdom, then that is exactly what she was going to give them.

Once things were underway, it seemed like the days just flew by. With a base camp set up just about a day's ride to the northeast of the city, it was much easier to organize things in a timely manner. Though there were still a few loose ends for Elsa and the others to deal with. One of them being a particular blacksmith that was a valued and important member of the resistance.

With a hurried step through town from the inn to Malek's shop, Elsa and her entourage wove their way through the crowds in the midday sun. The people still parted ways for her, but news had spread quickly of the decision the council had made. Many were dissatisfied with the ruling, but since they had no say in the matter they had to accept things as they were.

Reaching his shop with little trouble, Elsa had her guard wait outside as she entered. It was kept very clean, though the heat from the forge only intensified the summer warmth outside. Lucky for her, she was able to keep herself cooled enough to avoid sweating to death.

As she looked around, she noticed everything was in its proper place. The latest work order for the city watch was stacked on a rack near the far side of the shop, the various tools hung from hooks that lined the walls, and a worn leather apron with matching gloves were tossed over a stool that was next to a door that led into the interior of the building. Approaching the door, Elsa knocked softly, hoping Malek would hear it.

Sure enough, moments later the door swung inward and the large, burly man was standing there with a puzzled look on his face. "Your Highness, what could possibly bring you here?"

Elsa smiled warmly at the mountain of a man. "It has been some time since we last spoke, Malek."

"Yeah, not since the princess's funeral," he replied mournfully.

A look of sadness flit across Elsa's face, then was gone. "Yes. I hope I'm not bothering you."

With a shrug, he looked around his shop then back at her. "Bothering me? I have no work for today, so it's no bother at all. Besides, you're my queen, so you can do as you please."

"I'm a lot more polite than that, Malek," she retorted. "Besides, in case you haven't heard the latest news, I'm no longer queen here. So just assume that I am a regular house guest."

"Well, uh, if you're sure about that, then please come in," he said with a bit of unease in his voice.

Inside his home was just as clean as his workshop. There was a small wooden table with a couple chairs near a window at the front of the house, and the living area was lightly decorated with a dark blue rug and a couple of decent looking couches. The door to what Elsa assumed was a bedroom was closed, as was the door to the kitchen. There was the occasional painting hanging on the wall, which she found fascinating for a blacksmith, and there also hung a couple of decorative swords and a rifle on the wall above the mantle. It was actually kind of cozy and welcoming.

The look on her face amused Malek quite a bit. "You look as if you were expecting something else entirely."

"I have no idea what I was expecting honestly," she said, still somewhat shocked at how clean the house was.

"I'm not a neanderthal or a brute, Your Majesty," Malek said with a hearty chuckle.

"I never said you were," she replied. "It's just that your home and your shop are so clean, and yet you are able to produce so much work for us."

"Well, it's quite simple," he said with another shrug. "Cleanliness and organization makes things happen a lot faster. I've seen the forges of other blacksmiths, and everything is so dingy and unkempt. I run a respectable and fair business here, and I want my customers to actually want to be here."

"That makes sense," she said with a nod. "I did have a reason for coming though."

"I expected as much. Here, please have a seat." Malek motioned towards one of the couches and took a seat himself.

After taking a seat across from him, Elsa folded her hands in her lap and breathed in heavily. "As you no doubt have heard, we have been forced to vacate the city, and only have a few days left."

"Yeah, I had heard about that," he replied. "We've been ousted by the council. Plus, from what I hear, they're not big fans of you either."

Frowning, Elsa cleared her throat a little out of annoyance of the memory. "No, they're not. Apparently, I'm some abomination. A monster, and if the rumors are true, a spawn of the devil himself. I've never done a single thing in my life to be considered horrible and vile, and yet these people think the very worst of me. Am I these horrible things, Malek?"

Malek stroked his chin in thought for a brief moment before answering. "I haven't known you personally for very long, and we haven't had much interaction, but I can safely say that from the time I have spent with you, you have been nothing but kind and generous. So no, I do not think you are a monster. So you have strange powers no one else has. So what? It makes you special. I will admit, I was a little apprehensive at first about it. But you've shone just how human you really are, so I see no reason to fear you."

By the time he was finished talking, Elsa was wiping a tear away and had a smile on her face. "Thank you, Malek. That actually means a lot to me."

"I mean it though. You seem like a wonderful person, so I can't see why they would say these things about you," he said with a stern look on his face. "I mean, the only thing you have done that worried anyone at all was what happened at your coronation. Even that was explained away from what I understand. We haven't seen anything like that since then, except for when you showed off for that stuffy mayor of ours."

This made Elsa giggle as she remember the whole affair. "That was actually kind of fun. I rarely get to use my powers to show off. I'm just glad that I was able to make that man eat his words."

Grinning, Malek leaned forward and looked Elsa in the eyes. "So, you said you had a reason to see me?"

"Oh, yes, of course," Elsa said as she shook her head to regather herself. "It's about us leaving the city. I would like it if you came with us. With Celeste looking for you, I honestly believe the safest place for you would be at our side. Please."

"Alright," he replied simply.

Elsa blinked, unsure of what he had just said. "Alright? Just like that?"

"Yeah, just like that," he said with a smile.

"Oh," Elsa said, still blinking in disbelief. "I was expecting to have to argue harder than that."

"Why? I'm a member of the resistance, remember? I'm kind of honor-bound," Malek said with a grin. "Besides, who's going to keep all your weapons in working order?"

"You have no idea how happy you just made me, Malek," Elsa confided. "I'll have some men come over right away and help you prepare things. We only have three days left."

* * *

The final day of the deadline approached, and the resistance had all but disappeared from the eyes of the city. They were but a fading memory as far as the council was concerned, and as a ghost to those that wanted them gone to begin with. It was for the best in Elsa's mind, as they had a lot of work left to do to rebuild the kingdom and defeat Celeste and her forces.

There was just one last thing left to do.

Standing on a windswept hill overlooking the eastern lake, Elsa and the others looked down at the grave of her baby sister. Anna had been taken from them just a little over a month ago, but the pain was still very much present and intolerable. Kristoff was barely able to contain himself, and Olaf sat at the foot of the mound of rocks and looked as sad as a snowman could look. Aldrik and Jorik refused to get to close, as both blamed themselves for what had happened. Malek rested a comforting hand on Elsa's shoulder as she tried not to cry, but failed miserably. Even Sven managed to seem morose.

After everyone had paid their respects, Elsa knelt down beside the cairn and laid a hand upon the headstone. "Hello Anna, I know it's been so long since I last visited," Elsa began. "It's been hard to keep coming here and not feel terrible for letting you down...Um, I missed your birthday, but I brought you a present. It's some more bluebells, your favorite. I also had Marcus's wife back you a nice cake, and I brought some here to share with you. I hope you like it."

"I'm so sorry to do this, sweetheart," she continued, her voice wavering, "but we have no choice. We have to leave the city. But I promise, one day we will return for you and take you away from this place. You will not remain where you are not wanted. You will rest next to mother father's stones where you belong. Until then, I pray you remain safe here. Remember, I will always love you."

Wiping the tears from her eyes, Elsa stood and looked at her friends without saying a word. As they slowly made their way back down the hill to their horses, she could only think of where her sister was now, and that she had found her peace. Heaven was so far away, and yet she still prayed that Anna was watching over her somehow. She thought she could feel a presence nearby that she couldn't quite explain, and hoped it was her.

* * *

That evening, the resistance had fully withdrawn from the city, and they now had a fully operational base camp. It was odd for them to be on the move again, but Elsa felt that perhaps they had gotten too comfortable being in the city for so long. The country had been invaded and lives were destroyed, and they sat around doing very little to rectify that. So, she thought that perhaps this was actually for the best, especially if she was ever to get her revenge on Celeste for what she had done to Anna.

Luckily, the summer weather was still fair and warm. The last time they were on the move, the weather was not favorable. This time it was clear skies and beautiful sunsets. This brightened her mood slightly, as she had always loved watching the sun settle itself beyond the mountains. The vibrant reds and oranges being chased away by the starry night sky was one of her favorite things to witness growing up.

With the fires lit and the men fed, most sat around and told stories of their lives before joining the resistance. The men had come from all over the kingdom, and some had even crossed the border from the north to join the fight. It seemed that where Celeste's forces had wreaked havoc, that's where the most determined fighters hailed from.

The army had grown in size considerably since the end of spring. Totaling nearly seven-hundred men strong, the resistance had practically exploded once word of the queen's whereabouts were announced. No one could believe just how fast it had grown, but there was no denying that they were quickly becoming a force to be reckoned with.

The tents were lined in rows up and down the encampment, with a large structure near the western end. This had become known as the command center, as Elsa and the others had taken to discussing strategies and movements of the army there. It was private, spacious, and heavily defended on all sides.

Inside was rather roomy and sparsely furnished. At the center was a large rounded table with a map spread out with dozens of pins sprinkling the surface. Around the table sat half of a dozen chairs that were far less comfortable than anyone would have preferred. A lantern hung from a hook at the center of the canopy, and the walls were lined with various crates and strongboxes.

Sitting on top of crate nestled in the corner, Olaf watched as the others discussed their next plan of action. He didn't quite understand what they were saying, but he knew it was important. He tried very hard to pay attention, but random thoughts kept amusing and distracting him, something that everyone had often joked about.

Leaning over the map table, Liam was pointing and tapping his finger on the boundary between Arendelle and Thaumgar.

"I think our best option for now is to head northward," he said.

Elsa shook her head in disagreement. "But the north has nothing for us. Arendelle needs to be retaken and soon."

"Not necessarily, Your Grace," Jorik replied. "From everything our intel has told us, Arendelle is still teeming with enemy forces. We don't know the numbers, and right now we can't afford to take any chances like that."

"He's right, you know," Liam added. "We don't know what to expect back home. The northern territories have been invaded as well, but there's a good chance that more have survived than we think. Plus we've heard rumors that King Ragnar's forces are still fighting. Our kingdoms have always been allies, which means there's a good chance that we can join them and help push back Celeste's men."

"What of the southern territories? Surely they're in need of help as well," Malek inquired.

Straightening himself, Liam folded his arms and sighed. "Unfortunately, no word has come out of Morvaldt in some time. We don't know what the state of affairs are there. Thaumgar we at least know still stands, even if the rumors claim Ragnar is dead."

Leaning against the crate Olaf was sitting on, Kristoff grunted. "There's still the chance that we could be heading directly into a trap here."

Aldrik scoffed. "What are the odds of that really happening? We have scouts running ahead to make sure that very thing doesn't happen."

"Exactly. We aren't going to move anywhere unless we know precisely what the situation is. This is why I highly recommend we move northward, Your Grace. There we have allies that are willing to fight," Liam said in earnest.

"What of Captain Reinhardt in the south?" Elsa asked.

Shrugging, Liam looked down at the map and sighed. "We don't know for sure what is going on there. We know that there is a man claiming to be him, and there is a small force still fighting, but it is too risky for us to head in that direction right now."

"What about that sword you guys mentioned before? The Sword of God or something?" Malek asked.

"The Sword of Himmelen. Right now Celeste has it," Elsa answered. "Unfortunately, we have no way of retrieving it, or even knowing where it is. But in order for me to defeat this demon that she's trying to summon, I have to have it."

"Maybe Bertrand and Olvar will have learned something, if they ever return." Standing up, Kristoff walked over to the map table and stared down at it, trying figure out where exactly they could have gone.

"We won't know that for some time I think," Liam replied. "They've been gone a month already, though how far north they had to travel is anybody's guess."

"They're both incredibly smart and resourceful," Elsa added. "I have no doubts in my mind that they are fine. As for heading north, you might be right that it's our best option. Let's have the men make preparations to head out by morning. We don't have any more time to spare."


	7. Chapter 6 - What Lurks in the Mist

**CHAPTER 6**

 _What Lurks in the Mist_

The smoke hung thick in the air, swirling about and stinging Bertrand's eyes, causing them to tear up and blur his vision. There was no escaping it, and the stench of tobacco was strong and pungent. It even permeated his food, which was nothing special but some fried potatoes and beans.

With his appetite ruined by the atmosphere of the tavern, he turned to stare at his companion who didn't seem to mind the lack of breathable air nearly as much as he did. Olvar was eating rather ravenously, as if he hadn't had a meal in days. The man could pack it away for sure, and could drink nearly as much as their hunter friend Aldrik without effort. For a tall and fairly skinny man, he was a heavyweight with the food and ale.

The tavern itself was packed, with raucous patrons as wild and rowdy as any sailor worth his salt. Several fights had already broken out, and the proprietor quickly put a stop to them and single-handedly tossed every man that participated out into the cold and muddy streets. Then another fight would occur just minutes later, and he'd do the same thing over again. He was a big man, bigger than most, and had little trouble dealing with the riffraff. Many establishments had hired goons that protected the place; the owner of The Angry Rooster was practically three goons wrapped into one.

Once the latest melee had been dealt with, the old scout shook his head and stabbed his food with a fork angrily. "Why are we still here again? There have been no leads in weeks. We've already determined that there isn't a single person here that knows anything about the enemy's whereabouts."

"Tha' foo' is delish's tho'," Olvar said around a mouth full of potatoes.

"You call this rubbish food? Clearly the smoke has addled your brain," Bertrand replied with a scoff.

Wiping his mouth with his sleeve, Olvar laughed at the older man. "Perhaps. But you have to admit the ale is spot on."

Bertrand squeezed the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "This swill? It tastes like the smoke smells. Can we just get out of here?"

"In a minute. There's some new arrivals, and I'm going to see what they know," Olvar said.

"They don't know anything," Bertrand barked. "Nobody in this godforsaken town knows anything! It has been this way for weeks! It's like the bloody _Magi_ has disappeared."

"That's not entirely true. We know that her men are still wreaking havoc and chaos across the country," Olvar said as he lifted his mug, only to find it empty.

Sighing, the old man leaned back in his chair and rested an arm on the table. "We knew that much when we left Branisberg. We have literally learned nothing in the month we've been gone."

Swirling the last drops of ale at the bottom of his glass, Olvar looked over the crowd of people at the bar. "Again, that's not true. We learned that they had headed into the north. We're already in Skeinveldt territory. It's the northernmost kingdom before you reach the deep wilds of the unsettled lands. All that's up that way is ruins and some ancient monastery."

Another fight broke out at the bar, with one man grabbing the other by the head and slamming it into the counter top. One of the victim's friends pulled out a knife and tried to stab the attacker, but missed and tripped over his friend. Then the owner jumped over the bar and grabbed all three, dragged them to the door, and tossed them out like they were weightless.

"Oh look, there's some space at the bar now," Olvar commented happily. "Time to go and make nice with the newcomers."

With that, he got up from his seat and sauntered over to where the new arrivals were. Clapping one on the back, they began chatting as if they were longtime friends. Calling the owner over, it seemed that Olvar had ordered drinks for the lot of them. The men cheered, and they laughed and drank.

Bertrand had half a mind to leave him there and head back to the inn they were staying at, but thought better of it. While Olvar could easily handle himself in a fight, he wasn't so sure he could manage to escape the burly owner. It would serve him right though, dragging the old man back to the tavern every night for the last several.

After choking down the last of his drink, which he detested, Bertrand scanned the room and watched the other patrons. Most were men, and most of them were harassing the waitresses as they wound their way through the crowds. Some of the women didn't seem to mind, but several would smack the men that touched them and the other men would laugh at the poor fellow.

Eventually Olvar returned, a big toothy grin on his face. "You'll never guess what I just learned," he said as he took his seat.

"I swear, I am going to thump you if you don't just spit it out," Bertrand warned.

"Well, as it turns out, these fellows have heard news about Celeste," Olvar stated happily. "Apparently, her men tore through a few villages just two days away from here in the northwest. Rumor has it that they were headed to the wilds up north."

"If they were so close to here, why has nobody in this town heard anything about it? Surely they're not that inebriated," Bertrand said gruffly.

Olvar shrugged emphatically. "No idea, but these gentlemen were positive that what they heard was true. Also, they aren't from here. They said they came in from the west, some place called Utfell. Besides, it's the best lead we've had in ages."

Crossing his arms, Bertrand grunted as he thought. "Then I guess we'll head out that way and see what's going on. If these villages were attacked by the enemy, then hopefully the survivors can point us in the right direction."

After another round of drinks, which Bertrand wished had ended several pints ago, they finally made their way back to their room. It was already rather late, and they decided that an early departure would be best. With so much ground to cover, it was the best option they had.

The streets were dark and lonely, and a thin fog began to roll in. It soon thickened and caused visibility to reduce to almost nothing. Even the streetlamps were hard to see as much more than dim floating orbs, and their light just barely touched the ground. The temperature fell quite noticeably, causing them to wrap their cloaks around them a bit more tightly.

"I am sick of this bloody weather," Bertrand said grumpily. "I hate everything about the north. It's frigid, wet, and the people are imbeciles."

This made Olvar smirk just a bit. "What, you don't like the cold? That's rather ironic coming from a man whose queen controls ice and snow with the wave of a hand."

"Shut up," was Bertrand's agitated reply.

Just then four dark figures appeared before them underneath one of the dimmed streetlamps. As they approached, the scouts could barely make out the silhouette of what looked like a pistol. Reaching for their own, they stopped dead in their tracks and readied themselves.

"That's far enough, gentlemen," one of the figures said. "Now, do be good and hand over your money. We'd really rather not have to harm you."

Bertrand snickered at the audacity of the man. "What? It's just the four of you? Are you really looking to get killed?"

"Sir, I don't think you quite understand the position you are in," the man said.

"Actually, we do," Olvar added. "Unfortunately, the odds aren't looking too good for you."

The man let out a sigh. "I really hoped it wouldn't come to this."

Suddenly, one of the figures lunged forward towards Olvar, who caught the man's arm and wrenched backwards, forcing him to drop his dagger and fall to his knees. With a swift knee to the face, the man fell backwards into a puddle and groaned.

Another made the same mistake with Bertrand, who sidestepped the fellow and tripped him, causing him to fall face first into the muddy road. With a swift motion of his free hand, he managed to throw one of his knives at another of the men and hit his mark right in the shoulder. The man fell to the ground, clenching his teeth and trying to pry free the blade. The remaining attacker backed away and ran in the opposite direction as fast as he could, disappearing into the misty shroud of night.

"We told you fools that it didn't look good for you," Bertrand mocked as he grabbed his knife from the man's shoulder, punching him the face for good measure.

With a scoff and a chuckle, Olvar placed his pistol back in its holster and kicked the man Bertrand had tripped in the side of the head. "Eh, I'd rather they get cocky and make terrible errors in judgment like that. Otherwise our job wouldn't be all that fun."

"At least I got to take my frustrations out on some of the local idiots," Bertrand said a little more happily than necessary.

With the evening entertainment out of the way, they finally found themselves back at the inn and their cramped broom closet of a room. Exhausted, they spent little time getting to sleep for a few hours before first light. It wasn't restful, but it was all they could manage given their situation.

In the hours that preceded the dawn, they found themselves in the stables preparing their horses for the journey ahead. They had two days to travel northward, but they were sure they could make it in less. They had little gear except for the necessities, and they were well used to traveling by now. All they had to do now was push their horses to get there as fast as they could.

* * *

"I hate this place. I hate everything about it. The cold, wet ground. The constant fog. The moronic people that inhabit this end of the world. I'm even starting to hate riding horses." Bertrand complained for what seemed like the hundredth time.

Rolling his eyes and shaking his head, Olvar gave his companion a sideways glare. "I swear to God himself that if I hear you complain one more time, I will tie you to the bottom of your horse in your sleep and send it running."

Bertrand grunted at him but said nothing more. He despised the position they were in, and he hated even more that their mission had them moving ever northward. He had hoped weeks ago that they could abandon the whole thing, but he knew that that wasn't an option. So he kept on, regardless of how miserable it made him.

They had been traveling for well over a day, and found themselves in a lightly wooded area that seemed to stretch forever in every direction. The fog that had rolled in the previous night had clung to the ground the entire trip, dampening their clothes and their spirits. Luckily it was thinner in the woods than it had been out in the open, but visibility was still low. If it weren't for the compass and map they had, they'd have been lost as soon as they set out.

The day wore on in silence, something Olvar was thankful for. As much as he liked and admired his friend, he was sick of his constant whining. Normally the man had no issue doing what must be done, but the medic suspected that their time in Branisberg had softened him a little. But he knew that he was also very homesick, as they all were.

By nightfall, the fog seemed to have thickened up again, and they decided to set camp for the evening. Their clothes were wet from the moisture in the air, and their flint would barely light the kindling they managed to gather in the dark. They prayed that the mist would lift by morning.

Once the fire was lit, the flames licked at the fog, burning it back just enough so they could see. It did little to give them warmth, but it was better than freezing. The smell of pine filled the air, and the wood popped and hissed as it dried out from the heat. It was the only sound that filled the night air; not even the wind stirred.

Eventually the fire was bright enough to cut through the gloom, and a comfortable heat radiated from it. The men sat there staring into the blaze in relative silence, both lost in thought. Neither had much to talk about anyway. Having spent so much time together, there was little left to say. Over a month on the road chasing rumors made them rather weary of the same stories, and reflecting on the events leading up to where they were now only soured their moods further.

This, however, did not stop either of them from thinking about home. The sights and sounds of the fjord, the contentment and general happiness the people had in their hearts, the rolling hills covered in evergreens, the bustling marketplace, even the royal castle. But more importantly than all that, they missed the peace and quiet of life in Arendelle. It was a good life, one that none could find any measure of negativity in.

Now all they could think about was whether or not they were going to die at some point that day. The only real concern they had at the moment was finding out where the enemy was and what they were looking for. Try as they might, they couldn't fathom what the north held that was so important as to tear apart an entire country to find. Was it some treasure left over from ages past? Was it some magic relic that would bestow great power? That certainly seemed fanciful, considering they felt that Celeste didn't need any more power at her disposal. However, they couldn't justifiably rule anything out at this point either.

So, in silence they sat, staring off into the flames though not really seeing them. Their minds were preoccupied with memories of the past and desires for the here and now. It wasn't until the howl of a wolf piercing the night did their attention return the present. Shaking themselves out of their reminiscence, they both quickly went for their weapons and looked around.

"Bloody wolves now?" Bertrand asked with a snort, staring off into the mist as if he could actually seem them. He never raised his rifle, but he kept eyeing the darkness warily. "This is exactly what we needed."

"Calm yourself, old man. We don't even know where they are, or how far away they might be. That one didn't sound very close." Olvar said shakily, not quite believing himself. He too eyed the darkness, half expecting something to leap out and attack at any moment.

The old weapons master shot his companion a disapproving look but said nothing. Gripping his gun tight, he sat it across his lap as he sat up as straight as he could against the rotted tree stump he had been leaning against. Listening and focusing as hard as he could, he waited for something to stir in the foggy night. Then there was an answer.

Another wolf cry sounded off, this time closer than the one before. Then another, and another, all in quick succession as they moved ever closer. Eventually the night was filled with the sounds of wolves howling to one another, and they seemed to be moving right towards the men.

The two quickly doused repacked their gear and doused the flames. Each lit a gas lantern they had brought with them and mounted their horses. As fast as they could safely go, they took off into the misty night. Their lanterns did little to help them see, but it was better than going completely blinded by the dark. Over their shoulders, they could hear the howls continue to draw closer.

At some point, he wasn't sure when, Olvar noticed that the cries had stopped. Motioning for them to slow their pace, they both listened intently. All they could hear was the clod of their horses. This made them both grow a little suspicious. Not a sound to be heard anywhere, when only moments ago the wolves practically on their heels.

"What kind of wolf just gives up like that?" Olvar asked. He had never heard of such a thing before, and felt it was very odd behavior. He knew something wasn't right.

"They don't. Something peculiar is going on here, but I don't intend to find out what." Bertrand sped his horse up, and told his companion to do the same.

They didn't make it far before they heard the sound. It started off as a low growl, deeper than most wolves. Then it became a howl into the air, but again deeper than any wolf they had ever heard. It came from right behind them, and with a kick of their heels they urged their horses into a dead run.

Every now and then, Olvar could swear he heard the something shuffling through the woods right behind them, then to the side of them, and then it would seemingly stop. They never gave up the speed though, and ran their horses as fast and as hard as they could. Then the sound started up again, this time even closer than before. He didn't dare chance a look back, as he didn't want to hit a low-hanging branch or see something he really hoped wasn't there.

Eventually he caught some movement just off to his right side, but it was a blur and then gone. Chalking it up to the fog playing tricks with his mind, he ignored it as much as he could before he saw it again. This time, it wasn't as much of a blur as before. He could actually almost make out a large snout and face, but only barely. It was much larger than any wolf he had ever seen, but once again he assumed it was the mist doing something to his eyes.

Suddenly, something lurched towards him and knocked him and his horse to the ground. The horse made to get up but was struck down again, neighing in terror before the sick sound of flesh being torn could be heard above him. He tried to reach for his lantern, but it had fallen just out of reach. The light was barely enough, but when the growling started and the eyes above him started to glow, Olvar to quiver for the first time in his life. Just barely illuminated by the light, a large lupine head slowly lowered itself until it was barely an inch away from his face.

There was something about it that seemed odd. It was larger than any wolf, and its fangs were enormous. Its eyes shone in the light and reminded him of the the silvery-white of the moon. As it leaned closer, it placed one of its feet near his head, and he could see that it was more shaped like a human's hand than an actual paw. It was much larger too, which seemed par for the course at that point.

All the beast did was linger there, growling and sniffing as if deciding on what to do with its new prey. Then, oddly enough, it started to lick his face. He found it to be revolting, and the breath was acrid and foul. After just a moment of this, it started to growl again and opened its maw as if to latch onto his skull, when a blast sounded off and the beast reeled sideways into a tree.

Moving as if he weren't old and overweight, Bertrand ran to his friend's aid and quickly pulled him free from under the dead horse. They tried to run as fast as they could, but the creature caught up and lunged at them, catching Bertrand and knocking him to the ground. As he rolled over to his back with a knife already in his hand, it started clawing at him relentlessly. There was very little the man could do, when he finally thrust his knife forward and stabbed the thing in it's chest.

This caused it to yelp, and quickly backed off. Bertrand crawled backwards and rose to his feet, steadying himself on a nearby tree. Olvar had had time to retrieve his rifle and had it aimed right at the beast, but was suddenly dumbstruck when it rose up on its hind legs and stood there, towering over them. This is when he noticed the fog had begun to thin out considerably, which he thought that it was odd he'd notice something like that at this particular moment.

The thing began to lurch forward slowly, readying its claws for another lunge. Suddenly, the sound of gunfire came from somewhere to the north, and the creature yelped several times as it was struck. It fell to the ground but was struck again and again until it laid there, motionless and silent.

The sounds of shouting and cheering was a strange yet welcomed change to that of wolf howls and growling, and it wasn't long before the men making the ruckus came into view. There were ten of them, and they marched right towards the scouts. They were all dressed the same, or almost. Dark leather pants and boots, tan shirts, all covered in leather belts and straps that contained knives and glass vials of various sizes and shapes. Each of them bore crosses hung from chains around their necks, which didn't seem too unusual except for the fact that they were all identical.

Then, one of the men stepped forward and thrust a hand outwards towards Bertrand to shake his. The man didn't smile, and his face was hard and slightly scarred. And there was something about his eyes, piercing as they were. "You are lucky to be alive, my friends. Very few survive the attack of a lycan."

Taking his hand and shaking it with a strong grip, Bertrand looked the man in the eye and tried to get a read on him. "Well, we certainly appreciate the help. I'm not too sure we could have taken that thing on our own."

The man looked at Olvar and shook his hand as well. "Perhaps not. But allow me to introduce myself. My name is Kaspar, and we are the Hands of Judgment."


	8. Chapter 7 - Beyond the Veil

**Chapter 7**

 _Beyond the Veil_

Drifting mindlessly through the infinite black, a wave of formless energy swirled and spiraled about itself without purpose. It had one singular thought, simple though it was: it desired to be. Nothing more, nothing less. A simple desire to exist was all that consumed it, and so through the dark of the void it crawled. However, it was unaware that it was being drawn by some inexplicable force. A phantom hand leading a lost child.

Then there was a spark. Infinitesimal at first, barely noticeable to any observer. But a chain reaction slowly began, and there was another spark. Then another, and another. Soon the sparks came faster and faster, until finally a phosphorescent light began to exude from the wrinkles and wisps of the celestial body. With a sudden jolt, it began its descent to the strange new world below.

Like the boom of a volcanic cry it entered the atmosphere. White hot and crackling, the energy fell with such force and found its place, making its resting place beneath an old willow that crested a small hill. The ground gave way as it nestled in, forming a concave center of impact in the otherwise green earth. As the smoke rose from the embers and the wind sighed, a most peculiar thing happened. The formless apparition began to take shape.

 _Breathe._

Another sigh, only this time it wasn't the wind. The shape slowly expanded and molded itself as if it were some cosmic clay. Stretching and bulging, sizzling and snapping, it fought to make itself take on a new form. A form that befitted one so divine as it. A form that would serve the new purpose it so desperately desired.

 _Just breathe._

Soon it took on a more recognizable body, one that could survive in its new home. Thin tendrils reached outwards forming new appendages, writhing and twisting as if in pain, and the crackling of energy became louder and louder. It was almost deafening. As the wisps stretched out and grasped for anchorage, they began to fatten until thick and solid. The mass continued to expand for a time, until ultimately it found peace within its new vessel. Then it began to cool, hissing and snapping, and the steam and smoke began to clear. The heat that once radiated from the crater slowly dissipated. Finally, its journey was over.

 _Just breathe, Anna._

With a start she gasped and gulped and swallowed the air vehemently until her lungs had their fill. Expelling everything from within, she inhaled again and again. Each time became less ragged and strenuous until it was almost comforting. Her throat burned fiercely, but she didn't care. She was breathing. She was singular and whole. But most importantly, she was alive.

Slowly the realization of her existence came to pass. First she moved her head and eyes, which was bewildering and strange, and then her arms and legs began to wriggle and stutter. The idea to stand came on suddenly, and with as much equilibrium and determination as a toddler she forced herself onto her feet. Her balance wasn't perfect, but it was enough to prevent her from falling back down.

Then another thought occurred to her. _Anna. I'm called Anna._ This sudden self-awareness was a new phenomenon to her, one that she wasn't sure what to think of. Her eyes widened as she touched her hands together, then looked down to see her feet. Wiggling her toes amused her, and she smiled brightly at this new discovery. The sensation of freedom and movement made her giggle and laugh loudly, and she spun around to take in the sights and sounds of this alien place. Everywhere she looked there were greens and yellows and blues, reds and purples and oranges. There were smooth rolling hills everywhere, some craggy and broken, and trees and flowers of every hue painted the landscape, all waving gently in the warm breeze. It was peaceful to her. Peaceful and serene.

But then a new realization set in. She felt exposed. Unguarded. She was naked to the elements, and she did her best to hide herself underneath the willow. It did little to shield her, but it made her feel more secure all the same. This didn't stop her from looking everywhere for something more to protect herself with, and after running from tree to tree she found a tattered piece of dirty brown cloth hanging loosely from a low-hanging branch, and it was big enough to wrap around herself. She quickly snatched it up and threw it over her like a robe, and secured it in place.

She was no longer indecent, and heaved a heavy sigh of relief. But something wasn't quite right, and at first she couldn't make out what.

 _Where am I?_ She was lost and directionless, with no idea which way to go. So she thought for a moment before deciding to just go wherever she was facing. Where it took her couldn't be all that bad, considering how lovely the scenery was. So she tread forward and hoped for the best.

As she crested the next hill, something caught her attention. It was a foreign sound, feint and distant and wholly unpleasant. She didn't know what it was, and against her better judgment, she chose to investigate the sound and find its source. Surely it wouldn't be nearly as bad as it sounded.

Unfortunately, the closer she got the worse it became, until at last it became too much. It was loud and guttural, and there were other sounds that mimicked it. A deluge of noises that horrified her washed over her senses, yet she couldn't keep herself from going further. _Just one more hill._ When she finally climbed to the top of the next hill, she stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes widened more than they ever had.

It was a scene unlike any she had ever witnessed. It was total, unadulterated chaos. There were men hacking and cleaving and hewing one another mercilessly with weapons of every kind. The maimed lay dead or dying on the ground in bloody masses. The men roared and screamed at one another like savages, and many even looked the part. Clubs and spears and swords and axes all, it was a battle she had only ever read about in storybooks as a child.

Before she could really process what was happening, one of the men turned and looked right at her. Pounding his chest with his fist, he raised his sword and howled into the air like a baying wolf before charging straight at her.

Anna barely had time to react. The man was on her in seconds, swinging wildly as she stepped to the side and evaded his attack. Without thinking, she kicked to the side and hit him behind the joint of the knee, causing him to crumple to the ground hard. In the blink of an eye she was on him, punching and choking her assailant.

As she readied herself to strike him once more, he grabbed her by the ankle and twisted hard, toppling her over and freeing himself. With him on top, he went right for her throat and started choking her until her face turned purple. Fighting with all the strength she had, she managed to bring one of her legs up just enough to hit him in the chest with the ball of her foot, knocking the wind out of him. This gave her just enough time to wriggle free from his grasp and reach for his sword. Once he regained his footing he lunged at her again, but was abruptly stopped. Anna had managed to bring the man's blade up just enough to cause him to fall onto it, running himself through.

She quickly forced him to roll over to the side so she could stand. Staring down at him, she saw that he laid lifeless. Taking a deep breath and wiping her brow, she struggled just for a moment to pull the sword from his belly. As she held it up, the blood-stained blade glistened in the sunlight, and she suddenly realized just how big the weapon was. It was like one of the large swords her ancestors used in an age long past. It was heavy, but not so much so that she couldn't use it if the need arose, and it quickly became apparent to her that she was going to need it.

Turning around to see if anyone else was going to come for her, she gripped the sword with both hands and readied herself. A couple more men had taken notice of her, and both decided now would be the perfect time to attack. At least this time she was prepared.

As they ran towards her, Anna dug her heels in and took up the defensive stance she was taught, and stepped forward to meet them once they were within striking distance. Swinging upwards from a low position, her sword met the first one and sliced into his arm and side, severing the limb and sending him to the ground as he screamed. The other was a bit more intelligent as he had held back just enough to dodge her follow-up of an angled downward stroke. Taking this opportunity, he swung his blade towards her head. With the low position she had taken, it gave her enough time and clearance to duck below as his sword whirred above her. Switching feet, Anna swung low and struck him in the leg, slicing through just below the knee. The man fell to the ground crying out, but she silenced him when she stepped over him and drove her weapon into his chest.

Pulling her sword free, she looked towards the battle taking place. So far, no one else seemed interested in her. The mass of men locked in combat stretched on for what seemed like forever. She had no idea how she was going to cross, but she felt it in her gut that she had to somehow.

Without a second thought, Anna did her best to skirt around the outside of the melee. With nothing more than a torn up piece of cloth wrapped around her, she felt she was less than prepared to enter and fight her way through. Not that the thought hadn't occurred to her; she knew she could handle herself well enough. The problem was that her covering didn't offer much in the way of movement without unwrapping itself from her. She wasn't sure modesty was of a high priority at the moment, but she refused to let any of the men see her in full.

Suddenly she heard a voice call out from somewhere nearby. " _Cailin_! Watch yerself!" It caught her attention enough to turn around in time to see a rather large fellow with a split lip and small cuts covering his arms and chest raising a large axe into the air directly above her. With a toothy grin he yelled and swung his axe down right at her.

Somehow the man missed, as Anna was able to sidestep just in time and avoid being split in two. _How in the world did I manage that?_ There was no time for her to recover as the man lurched forward using the momentum of his attack to swing his fist and strike her in the side of the head. The force of the strike knocked her clean off her feet and left her head throbbing and swimming. Her sword went skittering across the ground just out of reach, and as she tried to grab for it a large foot slammed down on her chest and pinned her down.

The giant of a man looked down at her and grinned. Pressing down with his foot, Anna thought she could feel one of her ribs crack, and all the air in her lungs was forced out. He was too large for her to twist and topple over, and without being able to breathe well she couldn't muster the energy to do much else. Somehow, though, she managed not to panic.

Then, out of nowhere, another man slammed into her attacker and knocked him off-balance. With a forceful swing downward the man that saved her struck the other and severed his head. Turning towards her, he offered a hand to help her up. Not hesitating to accept the offer, he pulled her back to her feet and gave her a hard look. "Nex' time I say watch yerself, do it!"

Anna stared for a moment, dumbstruck and shaken. _He just saved my life._ Once she noticed the look he was giving her, she quickly grabbed up her sword and prepared herself for whatever was about to happen next. Her new companion didn't give her more than a second to think before grabbing her by the wrist and dragging her away from the chaos. "I dun' know who yeh are _cailin_ , but this is no place fer a _bean_. How did yeh get 'ere?" He kept pulling her until they were atop one of the nearby hills with some of the other men that were watching and waiting. She assumed they must have been allies of his.

"I don't know. I woke up just a little bit away from here and was completely lost." Her voice quivered and cracked a little since she was using it for the first time. The idea to speak before now hadn't really crossed her mind. She turned her head to look up at him. "You're the first person that hasn't tried to kill me."

The man let out laugh and clapped her on the back. "I dun' kill _mna_. But _mna_ aren't to be on the battlefield either. So I ask again, how did yeh come to be 'ere?" He gave her another hard look, one that intimidated her a little more than she liked. It was piercing, as if he was looking directly inside of her. It made her feel exposed.

Anna shook her head. "Like I said, I don't know. The last thing I remember is being tied up and tortured, and then having my wrists cut open. Then everything went black. The next thing I know I'm waking up in a crater somewhere I don't recognize with nothing covering me. Although I thought I heard a voice calling to me before I woke up. I think it was my sister."

"Do yeh know where yeh are, _cailin_?" he asked gruffly. "These are the killin' fields. Only the bravest and mightiest o' warriors come 'ere. How can a _bean_ such as yerself come to be 'ere?" He stroked his beard intently, considering the young redheaded princess.

This made Anna huff, and she balled up her fists and clenched her jaw. "I'll have you know that I am a fighter just like you. I was outnumbered and taken prisoner. That's how I was tortured before being..." Her voiced trailed off as she realized what she was about to say. Squinting her eyes as she thought, she finally shook her head and looked back up at her companion. "Does this mean that I'm...dead?"

Smiling at her, he chuckled and rested an arm around her shoulders. "Yeh catch on quick, _cailin_. Welcome to Tir na nÓg."

Anna stared blankly at him. "I have no idea what that is."

Sighing, he pointed towards some hills off in the distance. "Yer people call it Asgard. This is the realm o' the gods."

"Wait...what did you say?" Anna's heart skipped a beat, and her breath hitched just for a brief moment. She was having a hard time comprehending what he had said, and part of her refused to believe it. "Asgard? As in the old Viking stories that are told to children? That's not possible. It's just a myth."

"Oh, 'tis real alright. As real as yeh or I. I thought like yeh once, long ago. But I 'ave been 'ere long enough now to realize tha' this is no dream. Like it or no, _cailin_ , but this is yer new home."

"You're crazy." Doubt still filled her mind, but it was slowly losing out to reason. She knew deep down that what the man said was true, but she didn't want to hear it. It was impossible for it to be true. "None of this is real. This is just a bad dream. Anytime now I'm going to wake up and find Elsa by my side smiling at me."

"Believe what yeh want. Once yer done lyin' to yerself, I'll be 'ere to 'elp you through this," he said with another chuckle. Looking her over once more, he turned and started to walk away shaking his head.

Panicking, Anna grabbed his arm and tried to stop him. "Wait! Please, don't go! I don't even know your name!" Her grip on his arm was a bit tighter than she had intended, but it was enough to get his attention and that was all she cared about.

The man stopped in his tracks and turned enough to look over his shoulder at her. "Dughal. Mah name's Dughal."

"Dughal." Anna mimicked. "Okay, Dughal, let's say I believe you. What am I supposed to do now?"

"Fer now, _cailin_ , yeh fight. Yeh kill them before they kill you. Then t'night we dine in the great hall on meat and mead. Then t'morrow we fight again. Then we dine. Then we fight. Tha's all we do 'til the las' battle."

"You mean Ragnarök?"

"Aye."

Anna nodded as she looked back over the battlefield. It made her feel a bit uneasy knowing that she'd be spending the rest of eternity fighting and eating. She didn't really look forward to it, since in her mind there was far more to life – or in her case, afterlife – than killing mindlessly and feasting until you couldn't eat anymore. Still, it was better than pure darkness, though she didn't really remember anything after she died.

That was the oddest part to her. She was dead, and for some reason it didn't bother her. It wasn't what she would have ever expected, but it wasn't terrible. Just seemed a little on the monotonous side if that really was all there was going to be to do. She still wanted to read, learn magic, pick flowers, and all the other things she used to do. But slowly she started to realize that she would never be able to enjoy those things again, or ever see her friends or Kristoff. Or Elsa.

The whole thing started to weigh on her, and it was beginning to depress her. The very idea of never seeing any of the people she cared about ever again was one she had never considered, and certainly didn't like the sound of _. How can I go on without the warm, loving embrace of the man I love? Or the smile and wit of my sister? Or the silly antics of my favorite pint-size snowman?_ The thought of never seeing them again scared her.

Dughal stood there with his arms folded waiting for her to come out of her thoughts. He was patient with her, as he had gone through the very same thing himself when he first arrived. The bite of reality was painful. "So, _cailin_ , have yeh changed yer mind now? Are yeh ready to accept yer fate?"

Taking a deep breath, Anna gave the warriors on the field another glance. It was a bit frightening and overwhelming. There were so many fallen men. "I think so."

"Yeh need to be completely sure. I'm no draggin' no _cailin_ into battle tha' isn' ready to look death in the face." His face was hard like stone, and she found it a bit unnerving. Gripping her by the wrist, he drew her closer as he stared her in the eyes. She tried looking away from him out of discomfort, but it was no use. He was right in her face. "Now, are yeh ready or no?"

Her eyes narrowed as she took a deep breath, and she yanked her arm free. "I am ready. Now let's get out there before I leave you behind." Turning around, she ignored the laughter from Dughal and the other men that were standing there watching. She had it set in her mind that she was going to prove to them that she could handle herself perfectly fine. No one was going to doubt the Princess of Arendelle any longer.

Or so she thought. Before she could take three steps Dughal had grabbed her by the wrist once more and yanked her backwards to face him. He was still laughing at her display, but she swore his eyes softened just a little. "Yer no ready fer battle lookin' like tha'. Yeh need armor and a weapon more fittin' fer a _cailin_ such as yeh."

Yanking her arm back and placing her hands on her hips, Anna gave him a very stern look. "And where do you suppose I'm going to get all that? In case you didn't notice, I'm a woman and I'm a bit smaller than the rest of you."

With another hearty laugh he clapped her on the back, knocking the wind out of her. "Well, _cailin_ , there is only place where yeh'll find wha' yeh need."

Anna was on the verge of losing her patience. "Which is where?" she asked impatiently.

"Your people call it Valhalla," he said with a smirk.


End file.
